Labour's Corbyn says Theresa May has not moved enough on Brexit

[webfact]

Labour's Corbyn says Theresa May has not moved enough on Brexit

By Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan and William James

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May gives a news conference after a cabinet meeting following yesterday's alternative Brexit options vote, outside Downing Street, London, Britain April 2, 2019. Jack Taylor/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Theresa May had not moved far enough in a first round of crisis talks aimed at breaking the domestic deadlock over Britain's exit from the European Union.

 

The United Kingdom was supposed to leave the EU last Friday but, nearly three years after it voted by 52 percent to 48 for Brexit in a referendum, it is still unclear how, when or even whether it will quit the bloc it joined in 1973.

 

After her EU withdrawal deal was rejected three times by lawmakers, the Conservative prime minister invited Corbyn, a veteran socialist, to talks in parliament to try to plot a way out of the crisis.

 

"There hasn't been as much change as I expected," Corbyn, 69, said. "The meeting was useful but inconclusive."

 

Asked if May had accepted his preference for a post-Brexit customs union with the EU, he said: "We did have a discussion about all of that."

 

Corbyn is under pressure from some in his party not to agree a Brexit deal without ensuring that it can be confirmed or rejected in a new referendum that also offers the option to stay in the EU. He himself has said such a vote should be restricted to specific circumstances.

 

"I said: 'Look, this is a policy of our party that we would want to pursue the option of a public vote to prevent crashing out or prevent leaving on a bad deal,'" he said. "There was no agreement reached on that."

 

"CONSTRUCTIVE MEETING"

A Downing Street spokesman said the meeting, which lasted an hour and 40 minutes, had been "constructive, with both sides showing flexibility and a commitment to bring the current Brexit uncertainty to a close".

 

"We have agreed a programme of work to ensure we deliver for the British people, protecting jobs and security," he added.

 

May's overture to Corbyn, whose party has 245 out of 650 lawmakers, offers a possible way for her to secure a majority for an exit deal as she seeks a second short delay to Brexit.

 

But some in the Labour Party have cast her gambit as a trap aimed at scaring her own lawmakers into backing her thrice-defeated deal, or as a way to extend responsibility for the difficulties of Brexit to the Labour Party.

 

May said on Tuesday she would seek "as short as possible" a delay to the current Brexitdate of April 12, having repeatedly said she did not want Britain to have to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23.

 

But European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in Brussels that Britain would not get any further short delays unless its parliament ratified a deal by April 12 - the date set by EU leaders as the effective cut-off for avoiding the European Parliament elections.

 

To secure a longer extension, the leaders have told May that she must present a credible way forward, and also sign up to those elections, something she is adamantly opposed to.

 

If the talks with Labour fail, May will put different Brexit options for the future relationship to a vote in parliament, in the hope of finding a plan viable enough to present in Brussels.

 

CONSERVATIVE ANGER

May's last-ditch approach to Corbyn, who is loathed by many of her Conservatives and mocked by May herself as unfit to govern, provoked anger in her febrile party.

 

Two junior ministers quit on Wednesday - one of them from the Brexit department.

 

"It now seems that you and your cabinet have decided that a deal - cooked up with a Marxist who has never once in his political life put British interests first - is better than 'no- deal'," Nigel Adams said as he resigned as a minister for Wales.

 

May turned to Labour after a hard core of Brexit supporters among her own Conservatives repeatedly rejected her divorce deal, saying it would leave Britain a 'vassal state'.

 

Using a nickname that plays on May's reputed robotic inflexibility, one Brexit-supporting Conservative lawmaker told Reuters: "The Maybot has gone haywire - we've got to find the 'off' switch."

 

Corbyn, who voted against EU membership in a 1975 referendum, told May he wanted a customs union with the EU, access to its single market, and a guarantee of continued observance of European regulations - as a minimum on the environment, and consumer and workers’ rights.

 

Many supporters want the party to throw its weight behind a second referendum. But some Labour lawmakers who represent areas that voted strongly to leave the EU not only reject this but also fear that such a 'soft' Brexit would be seen as a betrayal.

 

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the government would accept a soft Brexit if parliament voted for it.

 

(Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Kate Holton, Paul Sandle, Alistair Smout, Costas Pitas, Andy Bruce and Stephen Addison, Elisabeth O'Leary and David Milliken; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-04

[Topdoc]

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

Theresa May has not moved enough on Brexit

........because she is serving her extremely rigid EU masters. 

 

The EU never had any intention of offering us a decent deal, let alone a good deal. This was clear when May presented her withdrawal agreement at chequers all those months ago and this is the heart of the problem.

[Wiggy]

31 minutes ago, Topdoc said:

The EU never had any intention of offering us a decent deal

Why should they? If they play ball then other countries who may be tempted to leave might be even more encouraged by a good deal for the UK and expect the same when/if they left.

 

The one who instigates the divorce is often the one who gets the bad deal.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Wiggy

[John1012]

You are quite correct, May has not moved enough. She should resign and move OUT of No. 10.  Preferably into a clinic to check on whether she is competent to be allowed into society, she certainly is not competent to be Prime Minister. She is a perfidious lier, in the Clinton mold. She has destroyed the credibility of her political party and rendered the democratic process in the UK as irrelevant. That is until the next election, where , assuming apathy does not rule, the main parties will be assigned to the bin.

[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, John1012 said:

She is a perfidious lier, in the Clinton mold.

But did she inhale?

[sammieuk1]

Junker takes to the sky's after single handedly taking out every last hurricane spitfire and Lancaster and is about to take aim on May's fleeing Cessna its all over going down mayday, mayday as Corbyn takes a crash course on flying a stealth but oh no its pulling to the left and out of ammo  ????   

[Loiner]

Marxist Corbyn is a longtime eurosceptic and more recent fence sitter. He won’t bring anything useful to the situation. Over the past few years all he has done is use the Brexit situation to play party politics and that won’t change.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[ROGER DUNN]

 

May Has Destroyed the UK,Made The Country a Laughing Stock And Has killed Democracy 

[JonnyF]

May and Corbyn, what a couple of clowns. May is an embarrassment and should resign immediately. The worst PM in my lifetime.

 

Actually now I think about it Blair was worse, at least May isn't citing false reasons (WMD) for bombing Iraq with Bush. Blair was the most evil, however May is undoubtedly the most incompetent. It's neck and neck on duplicity with May the slight favourite to win by photo finish.

 

She's turned a huge opportunity into an unmitigated disaster. If only she had the confidence and courage of the British electorate.

 

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Labour's Corbyn says Theresa May has not moved enough on Brexit

 

Two tablespoons of Syrup of Figs should fix that......

[Basil B]

Corbyn has moved a vote of confidence on May, that has been buried in the "IN Tray"

Corbyn has already lost a motion of confidence in her government.

Corbyn is a Brexiteer yet the majority of his MP's are remainers.

Corbyn is hated by most of his MP's.

 

Do you really think the talks were meaningful and sincere? or he was there to measure up for the curtains...

[RuamRudy]

3 hours ago, ROGER DUNN said:

 

May Has Destroyed the UK

So at least some good will come from all this nonsense. 

[7by7]

I have asked others the following question in various Brexit topics. Apart from a couple who expressed unease over the Irish backstop, but refused to expand on that unease, none have answered.

 

May's deal means that we:-

Leave the customs union

Leave the single market

Leave the freedom of movement directive

Leave the common agricultural policy

Leave the common fisheries policy

Leave the jurisdiction of the ECJ.

 

So, I ask all you who have criticised and insulted May and her deal, called her incompetent and the EU's puppet; what don't you like about that, and with what would you replace it?

 

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by 7by7

[malagateddy]

NO DEAL..END OF!!!

I have asked others the following question in various Brexit topics. Apart from a couple who expressed unease over the Irish backstop, but refused to expand on that unease, none have answered.
 
May's deal means that we:-
Leave the customs union
Leave the single market
Leave the freedom of movement directive
Leave the common agricultural policy
Leave the common fisheries policy
Leave the jurisdiction of the ECJ.
 
So, I ask all you who have criticised and insulted May and her deal, called her incompetent and the EU's puppet; what don't you like about that, and with what would you replace it?
 
 

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, malagateddy said:

NO DEAL..END OF!!!

 

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

The Commons have just voted to block the government from a 'No Deal' exit. 

 

Do keep up.

[rocketman777]

40 minutes ago, 7by7 said:

I have asked others the following question in various Brexit topics. Apart from a couple who expressed unease over the Irish backstop, but refused to expand on that unease, none have answered.

 

May's deal means that we:-

Leave the customs union

Leave the single market

Leave the freedom of movement directive

Leave the common agricultural policy

Leave the common fisheries policy

Leave the jurisdiction of the ECJ.

 

So, I ask all you who have criticised and insulted May and her deal, called her incompetent and the EU's puppet; what don't you like about that, and with what would you replace it?

 

 

Apart from the fact it is not a deal but an agreement to work out a deal over the next further 2 years, it means paying the EU £39 billion for this crap.

 

The UK is the EU’s second largest single export market for goods ( The USA is slightly larger) The negative Trade Balance with the EU has grown steadily larger over the past 20 Years

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/551585/united-kingdom-uk-trade-balance-with-eu/

 

UK has a negative trade balance with all EU countries except Denmark, Luxembourg , Sweden and Ireland.

The surpluses with these are comparatively negligible

 

  By far the biggest trade deficit is with Germany See attachment And the EU want us , and our politicians are willing to pay £39 billion for to keep this arrangement.

 

The British people should be totally outraged and out on the streets

 

 and with what would you replace it? 

 

 

WTO rules with trade traffics against many of these EU imported products. So that the UK can start again producing these products themselves and cease this drain on the economy that has impoverished two thirds of the population.

Over a million families in the North of England are dependent on food banks, despite the fact that many are working but with subsistence wages

 

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by rocketman777

[joecoolfrog]

9 hours ago, Topdoc said:

........because she is serving her extremely rigid EU masters. 

 

The EU never had any intention of offering us a decent deal, let alone a good deal. This was clear when May presented her withdrawal agreement at chequers all those months ago and this is the heart of the problem.

Of course the EU played hardball , they were always going to for obvious reasons. This was pointed out time and again but dismissed as ' project fear ' by the usual suspects.

Its no good blaming the PM , she is the only one who has really tried to push through the best Brexit deal possible.

The fact that her deal doesn't square up to the utopia that was promised by Farage is hardly her fault , she has been dealing with reality rather than fantasy.

[joecoolfrog]

8 hours ago, John1012 said:

You are quite correct, May has not moved enough. She should resign and move OUT of No. 10.  Preferably into a clinic to check on whether she is competent to be allowed into society, she certainly is not competent to be Prime Minister. She is a perfidious lier, in the Clinton mold. She has destroyed the credibility of her political party and rendered the democratic process in the UK as irrelevant. That is until the next election, where , assuming apathy does not rule, the main parties will be assigned to the bin.

Nice rant but of course total nonsense , Farage will get about as many seats this time as he did before , not many !

[joecoolfrog]

8 hours ago, Loiner said:

Marxist Corbyn is a longtime eurosceptic and more recent fence sitter. He won’t bring anything useful to the situation. Over the past few years all he has done is use the Brexit situation to play party politics and that won’t change.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

All very true !

Instead of demonising the PM , who has pushed as hard as possible for Brexit , people should be looking very hard at Corbyn's deceit and hypocrisy.

[joecoolfrog]

1 hour ago, 7by7 said:

I have asked others the following question in various Brexit topics. Apart from a couple who expressed unease over the Irish backstop, but refused to expand on that unease, none have answered.

 

May's deal means that we:-

Leave the customs union

Leave the single market

Leave the freedom of movement directive

Leave the common agricultural policy

Leave the common fisheries policy

Leave the jurisdiction of the ECJ.

 

So, I ask all you who have criticised and insulted May and her deal, called her incompetent and the EU's puppet; what don't you like about that, and with what would you replace it?

 

 

Thank you.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

So at least some good will come from all this nonsense. 

 

How treasonous some like to be, when living in the land of fairy!

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, rocketman777 said:

Apart from the fact it is not a deal but an agreement to work out a deal over the next further 2 years, it means paying the EU £39 billion for this crap.

 

The UK is the EU’s second largest single export market for goods ( The USA is slightly larger) The negative Trade Balance with the EU has grown steadily larger over the past 20 Years

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/551585/united-kingdom-uk-trade-balance-with-eu/

 

UK has a negative trade balance with all EU countries except Denmark, Luxembourg , Sweden and Ireland.

The surpluses with these are comparatively negligible

 

  By far the biggest trade deficit is with Germany See attachment And the EU want us , and our politicians are willing to pay £39 billion for to keep this arrangement.

 

The British people should be totally outraged and out on the streets

 

 and with what would you replace it? 

 

 

WTO rules with trade traffics against many of these EU imported products. So that the UK can start again producing these products themselves and cease this drain on the economy that has impoverished two thirds of the population.

Over a million families in the North of England are dependent on food banks, despite the fact that many are working but with subsistence wages

 

 

 

Agree with you on the 39 billion GBP payment. I've yet to see any details of how the UK's share of EU assets will be split out in return. If the EU response is similar to the one on the Galileo project they'll tell us to piss off once we've paid. 

 

But please, how do you think leaving the EU is going to improve low wages and how are we suddenly going to produce things again? Who is going to make this all happen and how?

[malagateddy]

My answer to 7 by 7 is that the devil is in the detail..the fine print..imagine being a vassel state !!!!!

Thank you.

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[welovesundaysatspace]

2 hours ago, rocketman777 said:

 

And, so what? I mean, this doesn’t even require any economics knowledge but just pure logic to realize that it’s a meaningless statistic that doesn’t help you at all. Are people really that intellectually challenged? I can’t believe it. 

[puipuitom]

11 hours ago, Topdoc said:

........because she is serving her extremely rigid EU masters. 

 

The EU never had any intention of offering us a decent deal, let alone a good deal. This was clear when May presented her withdrawal agreement at chequers all those months ago and this is the heart of the problem.

First get an agreement where you want the border with the EU. Between Ireland and England+Scotland or.. between N and S Ireland, or… 40 miles SW of Cork or ? ?

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, puipuitom said:

First get an agreement where you want the border with the EU. Between Ireland and England+Scotland or.. between N and S Ireland, or… 40 miles SW of Cork or ? ?

Everyone knows where the border is , just look on any map

[sanemax]

3 hours ago, 7by7 said:

I have asked others the following question in various Brexit topics. Apart from a couple who expressed unease over the Irish backstop, but refused to expand on that unease, none have answered.

 

May's deal means that we:-

Leave the customs union

Leave the single market

Leave the freedom of movement directive

Leave the common agricultural policy

Leave the common fisheries policy

Leave the jurisdiction of the ECJ.

 

So, I ask all you who have criticised and insulted May and her deal, called her incompetent and the EU's puppet; what don't you like about that, and with what would you replace it?

 

 

So, where is that deal ?

Why didnt it go through and get signed by all involved ?

[malagateddy]

The devil is in the detail..plenty strings attached..vassel state material!!!

So, where is that deal ?
Why didnt it go through and get signed by all involved ?

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[puipuitom]

10 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Everyone knows where the border is , just look on any map

So, a border between N and S Ireland. End of the discussion. Whatever the consequesnces will be, the UK spits on the Good Friday agreement just 20 years old. The value of a UK signature.

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, puipuitom said:

So, a border between N and S Ireland. End of the discussion. Whatever the consequesnces will be, the UK spits on the Good Friday agreement just 20 years old. The value of a UK signature.

In your post , you asked where the border  was , its location .

I was just stating where the current border is , rather than stating what kind of border that it should be