Negotiations over leaving EU could be delayed if Jeremy Corbyn is elected Prime Minister
BREXIT negotiations could be delayed if Jeremy Corbyn is elected Prime Minister, it emerged last night.
The crunch talks are set to begin on June 19 - 11 days after the General Election.
But EU officials admitted Brussels would be willing to push back the start date if a new government in London requested more time to prepare.
Asked if the EU would agree to delay negotiations following a request from Mr Corbyn, a European Commission source told PoliticsHome: “They have got to agree the date, so yes.
“If the UK was to turn around and say, ‘we need a bit of leeway’ - we don’t have a lot of leeway in the big scheme of things.”
They added: “There are only a number of months - less than two years - to do this, so there isn’t a terrible lot of scope. But the Commission will agree with the UK the dates for the first negotiating sessions.”
Both Theresa May and the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier have said they want to kick-start Brexit talks on June 19.
The PM yesterday urged to think about who they wanted in charge of Brexit negotiations when they enter the polling booth next week.
Speaking as she campaigned in Remain-backing city of Bath yesterday, she said: “Britain is about to enter into the most important negotiations of my lifetime.
“They begin just 11 days after polling day. That’s why, now more than ever, Britain needs a strong government and a strong Prime Minister capable of standing up to Brussels.”
MOST READ IN ELECTION 2017
Mrs May will be given a boost as a fresh report says the EU has “far more to lose” than Britain if negotiations break down without a deal. She has repeatedly insisted she is prepared to walk away from talks if Britain is offered a bad deal.
A study by the influential Centre for Policy Studies also said Brexit negotiations are likely to cause a rift between member states - raising the stakes on Brussels to agree a good Brexit deal.
The paper warns: “A ‘no deal’ scenario would have consequences for the EU’s financial stability and would significantly ration resources, not to mention have a huge impact on many of its exporting industries.
“It would also impact some EU countries far more than others, which could lead to increasing tensions within the bloc.
“This will give the European Union as much of an incentive to come to a reasonable accommodation on the Brexit talks as it does for the UK.”