May appeals to Corbyn in desperate bid to break stalemate
●PM to ask EU for another Brexit delay ●MSPS holidays could be cancelled
Theresa May made her final roll of the Brexit dice, offering to cross her red lines in “national unity” talks with Jeremy Corbyn aimed at finally breaking the deadlock.
The Prime Minister said she would seek a joint position with the Labour leader on the UK’S future relationship with the EU – and will let Parliament decide on the Brexit deal if that fails.
Her announcement yesterday following marathon Cabinet talks opening the door to a softer Brexit inside the customs union and could even lead to a second EU referendum.
It also means the UK could be set for a long delay to its exit until the end of the year, although the government will push to have a deal ratified by Parliament ahead of European elections on 22 May, to avoid the UK having to take part.
The concessions came as MPS prepare to take the decision on an extension out of Mrs May’s hands with plans to rush through legislation requiring a Brexit delay tonight.
In a statement in Number 10, the Prime Minister warned “this debate, this division cannot drag on”, adding: “This is a decisive moment in the story of these islands and it will require national unity to deliver the national interest.”
The Labour leader, who only learned of the offer from Mrs May’s speech, said he was “very happy to meet the Prime Minister”. Talks could begin as early as this morning.
“I don’t want to set any limits, one way or the other, ahead of those meetings,” Mr Corbyn said. “We recognise that she has made a move.”
He made clear that Labour’s demands for a customs union with the EU, as well as continued protection for consumer, environmental and workers’ rights would form part of talks. However, Mr Corbyn made no mention of a so-called People’s Vote. Cabinet ministers met for seven hours in Downing Street to thrash out the offer to Labour.
It is understood at least four Cabinet ministers opposed a long Brexit delay, including Brexiteers Liz Truss and Andrea Leadsom, but Mrs May’s official spokesman said Cabinet
had reached a collective decision. A Cabinet source told The Scotsman that any resignations over the outcome of the national unity process “depends where they think their best leadership prospects lie”.
Brexiteers reacted furiously, with Jacob Rees-mogg accusing the Prime Minister of working with “a known Marxist” and warning the public “did not vote for a Corbyn-may coalition government”.
Ministers began talks in a “political Cabinet” meeting that began at 9:30am and ran until 1:30pm. After a brief working lunch of sandwiches and tea, a formal Cabinet meeting began around 2pm, not ending until after 4pm.
Ministers gave up their phones in the morning and all but one remained out of contact until the Prime Minister’s statement, to ensure the message did not leak. The Cabinet were offered wine while they waited in Downing Street for nearly an hour for Mrs May’s statement to be written.
The Prime Minister said any compromise with Labour must be based on the government’s withdrawal agreement, which sets out the UK’S “divorce” terms from the EU and which has been defeated by MPS three times.
The political declaration – which is not legally binding but is linked to the Withdrawal Agreement and acts as a blueprint for the future trade and security partnership with the EU – could be rewritten based on cross-party talks.
“I’m taking action to break the logjam,” Mrs May said last night. “I’m offering to sit down with the Leader of the Opposition and try to agree a plan that we would both stick to, to ensure we leave the EU and we do so with a deal.”
If the two parties fail to reach a consensus, then the government will put a series of options before MPS on the future relationship. Mrs May made clear the government “stands ready to abide by the decision of the House”.
The process must move quickly to come up with a plan that can pass the Commons before a Brussels summit on 10 April, where EU leaders must unanimously agree any extension.
EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and French president Emmanuel Macron yesterday both warned an extension would not be granted without a clear purpose.
Mrs May said she would seek a flexible delay that is “as short as possible and which ends when we pass a deal”.
But despite the Prime Minister’s insistence that voters shouldn’t be asked to elect new MEPS, a Number 10 source conceded that preparations for EU elections on 23 May would go ahead in case a deal isn’t ratified by then.
The source said ministers also discussed the option of a general election, but “there was not a great deal of enthusiasm at this point”.
Following a second round of indicative votes on alternative Brexit proposals that failed to produce a clear outcome on Tuesday, MPS sought to force the government into a Brexit delay with emergency legislation. The bill put forward by Labour’s Yvette Cooper and Conservative MP Sir Oliver Letwin could be pushed through all four stages of scrutiny in the Commons this evening, with Lords approval taking place tomorrow.
Ms Cooper said: “We are waiting to find out further details on how the government’s proposed process will work, including how decisions will be taken about the length and purpose of an extension, and how indicative votes will work to make sure we don’t just end up with no deal.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted the Mrs May was “kicking the can” down the road, and the SNP’S Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the announcement was confirmation that “Scotland has been utterly ignored”.
It’s not just voters in the UK who are increasingly exasperated with Parliament’s failure to break the Brexit deadlock.
Anger is growing across the continent too, and the EU’S chief negotiator Michel Barnier yesterday warned that a no-deal scenario is now more likely.
That would be calamitous for Edinburgh, for Scotland, and for the UK – and it is incumbent on every MP who cares about workers’ jobs and our economy to prevent this happening.
There is no such thing as a good Brexit. That is beyond doubt.
But to avoid the worst-case scenario next week, and with parliament bitterly divided, it is vital that we consider
Are Scottish Nationalists secretly working for a no-deal Brexit as a means towards ‘Scexit’? Comment Ian Murray
compromises to avoid falling off that cliff edge.
The time for purity on this issue has gone.
That’s why in Monday night’s round of indicative votes I supported all four options: revoking Article 50 as a last resort; a public vote; a version of the common market; and the minimum of a customs union.
None of these options passed, but the customs union option could have done so if SNP MPS had followed their party policy and voted for it. This is the second time they have refused to.
This proposal – which everyone in parliament knew had the best chance of passing – set out a customs union as an absolute “bare minimum” which could be built upon, protecting jobs and our economy.
They claim it is because it did not include freedom of movement, but it was a minimum and the word “compromise” comes back to mind.
It begs the question: did SNP MPS sit on their hands to ensure there is maximum chaos and uncertainty?
We all know the SNP only really cares about splitting up the UK and boosting support for independence. That is what their Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said in his response on Monday night.
If we crash out of the EU with a hard Brexit, history will not look kindly on those who play political games at this time of crisis and refuse to compromise.
The most encouraging aspect of Monday night’s votes was that the proposal for a public vote topped the list once again.
As we consider what to do next, the priority must be to apply for an extension to Article 50 so that we can put the real Brexit choice to the British people: leave with the Prime Minister’s deal or remain in the EU.
This is a time for compromise. The Prime Minister must, for the first time, agree to a compromise too, put the country ahead of the Conservative Party, and put her deal to the people for their confirmation. l Ian Murray is Labour MP for Edinburgh South