Downing Street accuses opposition MPs of trying to ‘sabotage’ Brexit talks with EU over plan to thwart no-deal
3 min read
Downing Street has accused opposition MPs of attempting to “sabotage” the UK’s Brexit negotiating position with the EU after they agreed a new strategy to stop a no-deal Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn joined senior figures from the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens and Plaid Cymru in vowing to prioritise “legislative” moves that would halt the Prime Minister’s plans to take the UK out of the EU “do or die” on 31 October.
The agreement forced the Labour leader to park plans for a motion of no confidence, after the Lib Dems refused to back installing him as caretaker PM.
It is understood that the opposition parties parties will kick off the process with an emergency debate when Parliament returns from the summer recess next week.
However it comes amid growing optimism within the Government that ongoing talks with Brussels could lead to a new deal, including on winning changes around the backstop, which UK officials said no longer appeared "sacrosanct".
A Number 10 source said: “We are now making progress because our European partners realise we are serious about leaving the EU on October 31 — no ifs, no buts.
“It’s utterly perverse that Corbyn and his allies are actively seeking to sabotage the UK’s position.
“This coalition of anti-democrats should be honest with the British public: they are against us leaving the EU no matter what. The Government believes politicians don’t get to choose which public votes they respect.”
Downing Street said there was “definitely a willingness from the French and Germans to engage” on an alternative to the backstop, following talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Johnson last week.
The EU has consistently said that the Brexit deal will not be reopened, and insisted that the backstop - which is designed to guarantee an open border in Ireland - cannot be scrapped unless a viable alternative is in place.
Opposition party leaders MPs are set to hold further talks over the next two days to thrash out the details of how they will force a Commons showdown, after “a productive and detailed meeting” on Tuesday.
In a statement they said: “Jeremy Corbyn outlined the legal advice he has received from Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti which calls Boris Johnson’s plans to suspend parliament to force through a No Deal "the gravest abuse of power and attack upon UK Constitutional principle in living memory".
“The attendees agreed that Boris Johnson has shown himself open to using anti-democratic means to force through no deal. The attendees agreed on the urgency to act together to find practical ways to prevent No Deal, including the possibility of passing legislation and a vote of no confidence.”
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