Jeremy Corbyn says Brexit talks with Theresa May are on the brink of collapse as PM still wants trade deal with Donald Trump
The Labour leader blasted Mrs May for refusing to consider remaining in a customs union with the EU
JEREMY Corbyn says talks to break the Brexit impasse are on the brink of collapse as Theresa May still wants a trade deal with Donald Trump.
The Labour leader, in cross-party negotiations with the PM, blasted Mrs May for refusing to consider remaining in a customs union with the EU.
Doing so would bar Britain from striking a US trade deal.
Mr Corbyn said the PM was pressured by Tories who are too obsessed with using Brexit to deregulate markets.
Labour sources said the main obstacle to progress was International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
Speaking on a campaign visit to the North West, Mr Corbyn said Britain needed easy access to European markets and to keep environmental regulations and workplace rights.
He added: “We’ve put those cases very robustly to the Government and there’s no agreement as yet.
“The Government doesn’t appear to be shifting the red lines because they’ve got a big pressure in the Tory party that actually wants to turn this country into a deregulated low-tax society which will do a deal with Trump. I don’t want to do that.”
He went on: “We’ve lost a lot of time by the dithering of the Government on bringing issues to Parliament.”
If the talks break down the PM has promised MPs would then hold a string of indicative votes on possible Brexit options.