UK PM must 'ditch red lines' on Brexit: opposition leader
British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed on Thursday he would only hold talks with Prime Minister Theresa May about Brexit if she ruled out a no-deal exit. "She seems to be prepared to send the country hurtling towards a cliff edge," Corbyn said in a speech in the southern English coastal town of Hastings. "To get a deal that can command a majority in parliament, Theresa May has to ditch the red lines and get serious about proposals for the future."
- World
- AFP
- Published Date: 12:00 | 17 January 2019
- Modified Date: 03:39 | 17 January 2019
Prime Minister Theresa May must "ditch the red lines" on Brexit after the defeat of the plan she had agreed with the EU, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Thursday.
"Theresa May has to ditch the red lines and get serious about proposals for the future," Corbyn said, adding that he was "open to discussions" with May on a compromise as long as she ruled out the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.
"Prime minister, take it off the table and have a serious discussion about how we approach the future," he said, warning May against any attempt "to blackmail MPs to vote through her botched deal on a second attempt".
"If the government remains intransigent, if support for Labour's alternative and the country is facing the potential disaster of no-deal our duty will be too look at other options... including that of a public vote," he added.
Corbyn said Labour's alternative Brexit plan included a customs union with the EU, a strong single market relationship and protection of labour and environmental rights.
Corbyn said May's crushing defeat in parliament on Tuesday "has shredded the last vestiges" of her authority.