Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer leaves the Cabinet Office
May’s talks with Corbyn break down: Labour accuse PM of failing to offer ‘real change or compromise’ as three days of negotiations that have sparked fury from both parties become locked in stalemate
Intense talks between Labour and the Government as they seek to find a way out of the Brexit chaos appeared to have stalled tonight.
Labour accused Theresa May of failing to offer opposition ‘real change or compromise’ after a third day of talks between senior frontbenchers and officials on both sides.
With just days to go to find a consensus and get an agreed deal though the Commons after months of division, Labour voiced ‘disappointment’ at the way they had gone.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the Government was ‘not countenancing any changes’ to the wording of the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future UK-EU relationship.ADVERTISING
In a sign that talks with ministers have so far failed to produce a breakthrough, he said: ‘Well, we’ve had two rounds of talks and today we’ve had an exchange of correspondence with the Government.
‘So far, the Government isn’t proposing any changes to the deal. In particular it’s not countenancing any changes to the actual wording of the political declaration.
‘Now obviously that’s disappointing; compromise requires change. We want the talks to continue and we’ve written in those terms to the Government, but we do need change if we’re going to compromise.’
A Labour spokesman added: ‘We are disappointed that the Government has not offered real change or compromise.
‘We urge the Prime Minister to come forward with genuine changes to her deal in an effort to find an alternative that can win support in Parliament and bring the country together.’
Tom Watson had earlier heaped more pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to demand a second referendum from Theresa May as Labour’s price for agreeing a Brexit deal.
The party’s deputy leader said that it’s ‘highly unlikely’ members would support a cross-party agreement the Prime Minister if another public vote on leaving the EU was not included in some way.
Labour is split over Brexit after Emily Thornberry contradicted her leader by also demanding a second referendum on any deal.
But yesterday a group of 25 of his backbenchers wrote to Mr Corbyn warning against the inclusion of a second referendum in any compromise Brexit deal negotiated with the Government.
Labour is meeting the government for a third day of talks on a possible solution to the impasse over Brexit, with May seeking a further delay while she seeks to find a deal that can get parliamentary support. Video playing bottom right…Click here to expand to full page
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Tom Watson today heaped more pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to demand a second referendum from Theresa May as Labour’s price for agreeing a Brexit deal.
Mr Watson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that negotiations are ‘making progress’, he said, and both sides are hoping for ‘a creative solution’ – which could include another referendum.
He added: ‘One of the solutions to break a parliamentary impasse is to ask the people to run their slide rule over Theresa May’s deal.
‘They can work out for themselves whether this deal works for them and their families.’
Mr Watson revealed that Labour opened nominations on Thursday for candidates to stand in the European elections.
The question whether voters should be offered a ‘confirmatory’ referendum on any compromise deal emerging from talks is hotly disputed at Westminster.
The Daily Telegraph reported that ministers have considered the possibility of giving MPs a vote on holding a referendum on a deal if that is needed to seal agreement with Labour.
It is understood the Government could set out proposals to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in a letter on Friday.
The Labour leader personally held talks with the Prime Minister to thrash out a jointly-agreed deal to put to Parliament.
But in an explosive intervention, his shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry wrote to all Labour MPs demanding a ballot on whatever deal emerges.
Miss Thornberry wrote: ‘Any deal agreed by Parliament must be subject to a confirmatory public vote, and yes, the other option on the ballot must be Remain.’