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| Brexit: May to meet Corbyn to tackle deadlock | Brexit: May to meet Corbyn to tackle deadlock |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May will meet Jeremy Corbyn later to see whether there is common ground to break the Brexit deadlock. | |
| Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the "remorseless logic" of MP numbers in the House of Commons meant the UK was heading for an "undesirable" soft Brexit, or closer links with the EU. | |
| Mr Corbyn says he wants a customs union and workers' rights to be priorities. | Mr Corbyn says he wants a customs union and workers' rights to be priorities. |
| The PM's move to hold talks has angered some Brexiteers, with Wales Minister Nigel Adams resigning his role. | The PM's move to hold talks has angered some Brexiteers, with Wales Minister Nigel Adams resigning his role. |
| In his resignation letter, Mr Adams said the government was at risk of failing to deliver "the Brexit people voted for". | |
| The PM is also due to meet Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who supports the option of a public vote. | |
| Following the PM's announcement, prominent Brexiteer Boris Johnson accused Mrs May of "entrusting the final handling of Brexit to Labour". | |
| And Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the Eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, described the offer as "deeply unsatisfactory". | |
| But Mr Barclay blamed hard Brexiteers in the ERG who refused to back the PM's deal. | But Mr Barclay blamed hard Brexiteers in the ERG who refused to back the PM's deal. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the alternative to the PM's deal was to seek votes from the opposition benches "because 35 of my own colleagues would not support the prime minister's deal". | |
| He said the consequence of MPs not passing the PM's deal was either a "soft Brexit or no Brexit at all", saying: "It [a soft Brexit] is undesirable but it's the remorseless logic of the numbers of the House of Commons." | |
| Mr Barclay said the EU has said the withdrawal agreement is the only deal available, but he said Labour had expressed more concern about the future relationship - which is contained within the separate political declaration. | |
| The withdrawal agreement includes how much money the UK must pay to the EU as a settlement, details of the transition period, and citizens' rights - as well as the controversial Irish backstop that aims to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. | The withdrawal agreement includes how much money the UK must pay to the EU as a settlement, details of the transition period, and citizens' rights - as well as the controversial Irish backstop that aims to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. |
| The political declaration sets out proposals for how the UK's long term future relationship with the EU will work after Brexit. | The political declaration sets out proposals for how the UK's long term future relationship with the EU will work after Brexit. |
| The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said there was not much difference between the government's version of Brexit and Labour's version - but there did not seem to be "an enormous amount of confidence" a political consensus could be reached from either party. | |
| Mr Corbyn said he was "very happy" to meet Mrs May and recognised his own "responsibility" to try to break the deadlock. | Mr Corbyn said he was "very happy" to meet Mrs May and recognised his own "responsibility" to try to break the deadlock. |
| But the meeting is not expected to take place before this afternoon, at the earliest, says our political editor, who was told by Mr Corbyn's team that he was not available on Wednesday morning for talks with the PM. | But the meeting is not expected to take place before this afternoon, at the earliest, says our political editor, who was told by Mr Corbyn's team that he was not available on Wednesday morning for talks with the PM. |
| It comes after Mrs May had more than seven hours of talks with her cabinet on Tuesday. | |
| Laura Kuenssberg said there was "rage and dispute" in the cabinet meeting, with "wildly varying accounts" of how many people were for and against different versions of Brexit extensions. | |
| Labour has previously said it has five tests for judging any final Brexit deal, including protecting workers' rights, establishing a permanent customs union with the EU and securing the same benefits of being in the single market the UK has currently. | |
| Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey told the Today programme that Labour was approaching the conversations with "an open mind". | |
| Later in Parliament | Later in Parliament |
| Meanwhile, a cross-party group of MPs will attempt to push through legislation to stop a no-deal Brexit. | Meanwhile, a cross-party group of MPs will attempt to push through legislation to stop a no-deal Brexit. |
| If passed into law, the bill - presented by Labour MP Yvette Cooper - would require the PM to ask for an extension of Article 50. | |
| House of Commons: Wednesday's approx timings for cross-party bill | House of Commons: Wednesday's approx timings for cross-party bill |
| 14:00 BST - Debate on a bill designed to ensure the government seeks a delay to Article 50 and stop no deal in law due to begin | 14:00 BST - Debate on a bill designed to ensure the government seeks a delay to Article 50 and stop no deal in law due to begin |
| 19:00 - A second reading vote on the bill | 19:00 - A second reading vote on the bill |
| 22:00 - Committee stage starts (this stage usually starts within a couple of weeks of a bill's second reading) and finally third reading vote | 22:00 - Committee stage starts (this stage usually starts within a couple of weeks of a bill's second reading) and finally third reading vote |
| Thursday - Bill is expected to be considered by the House of Lords | Thursday - Bill is expected to be considered by the House of Lords |
| The UK has until 12 April to propose a plan to the EU - which must be accepted by the bloc - or it will leave without a deal on that date. | The UK has until 12 April to propose a plan to the EU - which must be accepted by the bloc - or it will leave without a deal on that date. |
| Mrs May said she wanted to agree a new plan with Mr Corbyn and put it to a vote in the Commons before 10 April - when the EU will hold an emergency summit on Brexit. | Mrs May said she wanted to agree a new plan with Mr Corbyn and put it to a vote in the Commons before 10 April - when the EU will hold an emergency summit on Brexit. |
| She insisted her withdrawal agreement - which was voted down last week - would remain part of the deal. | She insisted her withdrawal agreement - which was voted down last week - would remain part of the deal. |
| If there is no agreement, Mrs May said a number of options would be put to MPs "to determine which course to pursue". | If there is no agreement, Mrs May said a number of options would be put to MPs "to determine which course to pursue". |
| In either event, Mrs May said she would ask the EU for a further short extension to hopefully get an agreement passed by Parliament before 22 May, so the UK does not have to take part in European elections. | In either event, Mrs May said she would ask the EU for a further short extension to hopefully get an agreement passed by Parliament before 22 May, so the UK does not have to take part in European elections. |
| What has been the reaction to the PM's offer? | |
| She was for budging. The prime minister has made her priority leaving the EU with a deal, rather than the happy contentment of the Brexiteers in the Tory party. | She was for budging. The prime minister has made her priority leaving the EU with a deal, rather than the happy contentment of the Brexiteers in the Tory party. |
| For so long, Theresa May has been derided by her rivals, inside and outside, for cleaving to the idea that she can get the country and her party through this process intact. | For so long, Theresa May has been derided by her rivals, inside and outside, for cleaving to the idea that she can get the country and her party through this process intact. |
| But after her deal was defeated at the hands of Eurosceptics, in the words of one cabinet minister in the room during Tuesday's marathon session, she tried delivering Brexit with Tory votes - Tory Brexiteers said "No". | But after her deal was defeated at the hands of Eurosceptics, in the words of one cabinet minister in the room during Tuesday's marathon session, she tried delivering Brexit with Tory votes - Tory Brexiteers said "No". |
| Now she's going to try to deliver Brexit with Labour votes. In a way, it is as simple as that. | Now she's going to try to deliver Brexit with Labour votes. In a way, it is as simple as that. |
| Read Laura's full blog here | Read Laura's full blog here |