Theresa May angrily slaps down Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit as he labels her the ‘irony lady’
PM took apart the hapless leftie as he tried to attack her 12-point EU plan in a feisty PMQs
THERESA May angrily slapped down Jeremy Corbyn over his attack on her Brexit plan, saying he “doesn’t have a clue”.
The Labour leader kicked off a feisty Prime Minister’s Questions by criticising her speech outlining her 12-point plan to quit the EU.
He accused the PM of snubbing Parliament while talking about restoring Parliamentary democracy, despite her revelation she will give MPs and Lords a vote on her final Brexit deal.
Mr Corbyn said that Mrs May was: “Not so much the Iron Lady, more like the irony lady".
He urged Mrs May to "stop her threat of a bargain basement Brexit, a low-paid tax haven on the shores of Europe".
He claimed Mrs May "demeans herself and her office and our country's standing" by making these "threats".
The PM replied: "What I set out yesterday was a plan for a global Britain bringing prosperity to this country and jobs to people and spreading economic growth across this country."
Mrs May said people had learnt more about Mr Corbyn's thinking: "What he said was the following: 'She has said leave the single market, then at the same time says she wants to have access to the single market.
"I'm not quite sure how that's going to go down in Europe. I think we have to have a deal that ensures we have access to the market'.
"I've got a plan, he does not have a clue."
Mrs May replied: "Access to the single market is exactly what I was talking about yesterday in my speech.
"One of the key principles, key objectives, is that we negotiate a free trade agreement with the European Union that gives us the widest possible access for trading with and operating within the European Union.
"He talks about frictionless access - this was actually a separate point, which is about frictionless borders in relation to the customs issue."
Mrs May said this is important for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, reiterating the desire to ensure the "best possible arrangement that does not lead to a borders of the past for Northern Ireland".
Mr Corbyn, highlighting the unanswered question, noted: "The question was would we have to pay for access to the market or not? The Prime Minister has not given an answer on that."
Mrs May finished off a tempestuous Commons session by hitting back, saying: “It’s called leadership – he should try it…”