BREXIT May’s plea as no-deal disaster looms
THE BREXIT SHAMBLES: MAY IN DESPERATE PLEA FOR HELP
LABOUR leader Jeremy Corbyn last night snubbed Theresa May’s plea to help save her Brexit unless she vows not to crash out of the EU.
The British Prime Minister begged rival party leaders to join her for talks after she survived a no-confidence vote by 325 to 306 – thanks to her DUP pals and Tories who just 24 hours earlier had decisively killed off her Brexit plans.
She immediately offered to hold one-to-one talks with Mr Corbyn and other party leaders in a bid to break the deadlock on the UK’S EU exit.
But Mr Corbyn said: “Before there can be any positive discussions about the way forward, the Government must remove clearly once and for all the prospect of the catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit from the EU and all the chaos that would come as a result.”
Mrs May later confirmed Mr Corbyn had snubbed her invite for talks after she said she met with leaders of the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the SNP. She added: “I am disappointed that the leader of the Labour Party has not so far chosen to take part but our door remains open.”
The DUP’S Westminster leader Nigel Dodds faced ridicule when he told MPS: “I’m always delighted when our opponents illustrate the strength of the relationship that we have, and what it is delivering for Northern Ireland.”
Lib Dem Jamie Stone waved a credit card in his face – pointing to the €1.1billion investment for the North the party was promised in return for propping up Mrs May’s government after she blew her majority at the last election.
And although Mrs May survived this no-confidence vote, if she refuses DUP demands to dump the backstop, she will need the support of Labour MPS to get a deal. The Tory leader now has four days to try to come up with an alternative plan.
With just 71 days to go until Brexit Day, she faces huge pressure to extend Article 50 to allow time to reach a fresh deal. Earlier, Mrs May appeared to keep the door open and said at PMQS: “The European Union would only extend Article 50 in the circumstances in which it was going to be possible to come to an agreement on a deal.”
I’m delighted when opponents illustrate the strength of our relationship
DUP’S NIGEL DODDS ON HIS PARTY’S €1.11BN N. IRELAND DEAL WITH TORIES