Theresa May Courts Opposition in Bid to Break Brexit Impasse Prime minister’s new tack risks leaving the U.K. with stronger ties to European Union than she has sought By Max Colchester and Jason Douglas
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-s-may-to-seek-talks-with-labour-further-brexit-extension-11554226292
LONDON—British Prime Minister Theresa May made an about-face in her Brexit strategy Tuesday by saying she would pursue a different deal with the opposition Labour Party, an approach that could keep the country more closely bound to the European Union than she previously envisioned.
Following a marathon seven-hour cabinet meeting, Mrs. May outlined plans to request a short extension of Brexit negotiations, ideally no longer than to May 22, to give the government time to hammer out an agreement with Labour and avoid leaving the bloc without a deal to smooth the U.K.’s exit.
“It requires national unity to deliver the national interest,” she said during a televised speech from inside her Downing Street residence.
The plan, which will likely lead to a softening of her Brexit deal, marks a last-hour roll of the dice for Mrs. May as she tries to find a path out of the Brexit logjam that has dominated her tenure.
After months of trying to appease euroskeptics in her Conservative Party, Mrs. May is now looking to lure opposition lawmakers instead. The Labour Party has pushed for the U.K. to remain in a customs union with the EU, a significantly different vision for Brexit than Mrs. May has espoused.
For the prime minister the move is high-risk, potentially alienating swaths of her own lawmakers. Meanwhile, talks with Labour are far from guaranteed to succeed in leading to a Brexit breakthrough.
After Mrs. May’s speech, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would be happy to meet the prime minister to discuss Labour’s positions on Brexit, which along with the customs union include maintaining current standards for the environment and workers’ rights. CONTINUE AT SITE
Comments are closed.
