Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at his London home this morning) has criticised the changes Theresa May secured to her Brexit deal
Corbyn blasts May’s ‘failed’ Brexit negotiations and vows to block her deal tonight
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today blasted the changes Theresa May has secured to her Brexit deal, suggesting they were nowhere near what she had originally promised Parliament.
Mr Corbyn tweeted: ‘The Prime Minister’s negotiations have failed. Last night’s agreement with the European Commission does not contain anything approaching the changes Theresa May promised Parliament, and whipped her MPs to vote for.’
The Prime Minister last night announced ‘legally binding changes’ to the controversial Irish border backstop after a dramatic dash to Strasbourg and last-minute talks with Jean-Claude Juncker.
She had been hoping some Labour rebels would back her deal to secure Britain’s exit from the EU – but those hopes appear to be fading fast after Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said his legal advice that Britain could be trapped in the backstop remained ‘unchanged’.
In a second tweet, Mr Corbyn repeated his familiar refrain that Mrs May had been ‘running down the clock’ to March 29.
‘Since her Brexit deal was so overwhelmingly rejected, the Prime Minister has recklessly run down the clock, failed to effectively negotiate with the EU and refused to find common ground for a deal Parliament could support. That’s why MPs must reject this deal.’
Mrs May will hope the changes to her deal will be enough to win backing for her plan from rebel Tory Brexiteers and the DUP in the meaningful vote tonight and secure Britain’s exit from the EU on March 29.
+6
+6
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer (left) has warned the changes Mrs May has secured to the backstop may not be enough for Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to alter his legal advice, which this morning turned out to be the case. Both men are pictured in Westminster today
+6
Mr Corbyn blasted Mrs May’s deal in tweets sent this morning and accused her of ‘running down the clock’
The PM’s plans received a major blow this morning after Attorney General Geoffrey Cox announced he was still of the opinion that Britain risked being stuck in the backstop ‘indefinitely’.
This outcome had previously be predicted by shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer.
He tweeted after the announcement: ‘Attorney General confirms that there have been no significant changes to the Withdrawal Agreement despite the legal documents that were agreed last night. The Government’s strategy is now in tatters.’