May blames Labour divisions for failure of Brexit talks
Prime Minister Theresa May said today that a lack of unity within the Labour party helped contribute to the failure of the cross-party talks on Brexit.
Speaking at a Conservative EU election event in Bristol, May said: “We haven’t been able to overcome the fact there isn’t a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit or hold a second referendum which could reverse it.”
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Labour is deeply split over Brexit, with deputy leader Tom Watson calling strongly for a second referendum and calling Labour a “remain and reform” party on the EU.
In contrast, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has a long history of Euroscepticism, has refused to go beyond the party line that Labour would only back a second referendum to prevent a “damaging Tory Brexit”.
Corbyn in turn, blamed the weakness of May’s administration for the collapse of the Brexit talks, arguing that any deal agreed may be disregarded by her successor as leader.
May said she would consider bringing forward some parliamentary votes to see if any of the ideas discussed in the talks could attract a majority.
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“We'll also consider whether we have some votes to see whether the ideas that have come through command a majority in the House of Commons,” she said.
May warned MPs they would be faced with a “stark choice” when her Brexit bill comes before parliament for a fourth time.
“To vote to deliver on the referendum, to vote to deliver Brexit or to shy away again from delivering Brexit with all the uncertainty that would leave,” she said.