Theresa May has blamed the Labour parties unclear position on Brexit as a key reason behind the breakdown in cross-party talks.
Speaking in Bristol she fought back against Jeremy Corbyn’s claim that uncertainty around her future had brought talks to an end.
The Labour leader announced earlier today that crisis Brexit talks between the government and the opposition have collapsed.
Mr Corbyn said the negotiations have “gone as far as they can” because “we have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us”.
I have written to Theresa May to say that talks on finding a compromise agreement for leaving the European Union have gone as far as they can.
The government's growing weakness and instability means there cannot be confidence in its ability to deliver. pic.twitter.com/H27qxDleaB
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 17, 2019
Responding to Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to end Brexit talks, Theresa May said:
“We have not been able to overcome the fact that there is not a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit or hold a second referendum which could reverse it.”
The break down in communications came after a group of Tory MPs demanded the Prime Minister halts Brexit talks with the opposition.
Corbyn has also said Labour would not rule out a second referendum:
“It wouldn’t be a referendum on 2016 terms, it would be a referendum to prevent a no-deal, catastrophic exit from the European Union.”
He complained that as a leadership race kicks off in the Conservative Party, “the position of the government has become ever more unstable and its authority eroded”.
Corbyn said that the Labour party would oppose May’s deal when it returns to parliament.
Former International Development Secretary Priti Patel tweeted in response:
“Many of us did question the judgement of the Cabinet when they approved those talks…”The post quote-tweeted a post from Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes who described the talks as “a complete waste of time from the outset”.
Many of us did question the judgement of the Cabinet when they approved those talks… https://t.co/YO9qPfrWNN
— Priti Patel MP (@patel4witham) May 17, 2019
Nigel Farage said of the decision: “Jeremy Corbyn was never going to come to an agreement on this. Why would he help the Tory Party?
Asked if he could do business with a new Conservative Prime Minister such as Boris Johnson, Mr Corbyn said:
“Whoever the Tory Party decide is going to be their leader we will put our case and we will challenge them.”
May will put her withdrawal agreement to a parliamentary vote in early June despite the fact that Tory rebels have said they will oppose it.
She will then agree a timetable for the election of the next leader of the Conservative Party.
Speaking in Bristol on the EU election campaign trail, Mrs May said:
“The Conservative Party didn’t want to be fighting these. We wanted to be out of the European Union.
“Indeed if Parliament had backed our Brexit deal we could already have left the EU, but we’re a national party, we fight national elections.
“And next Thursday I want people to vote Conservative because it’s only the Conservatives who can deliver Brexit and take this country forward into a brighter future.”
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