The SNP’s Westminster leader has joined the leaders of other opposition parties to urge Jeremy Corbyn to fight Theresa May’s refusal to give Parliament a say on her Brexit proposals before Christmas.
Ian Blackford, LibDem Leader Vince Cable, pictured below, Liz Saville-Roberts from Plaid Cymru and the Greens’ Caroline Lucas have written a joint letter to the Labour leader, inviting him to a meeting in Westminster tomorrow.
The Sunday National understands the letter stops short of asking Corbyn to table a motion of no-confidence in the Government tomorrow.
But sources have told the Sunday National that the SNP stands ready to table its own no-confidence motion if Corbyn rules out doing so.
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Blackford refused to confirm that plan last night, saying only that opposition parties wanted Corbyn to join a united front "against Theresa May’s deal and against a no-deal Brexit’’.
“We want to make sure that May’s deal does not happen and that a no-deal possibility is ruled out,’’ he said.
The opposition leaders, who have met regularly over the past year to discuss Brexit, have said it is absolutely clear the Tories are unwilling to give Parliament a say on the meaningful vote before the Christmas period.
May travelled to Brussels at the end of last week after delaying a Commons vote on her Brexit deal, which faced certain defeat.
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The Prime Minister, who survived a Tory party no-confidence vote, hoped EU leaders would agree to renegotiate the Irish backstop, which is her MPs’ biggest source of concern.
Those hopes were dashed when the EU said there could be clarification but not renegotiation.
The deal is now expected to go to the Commons for approval in January.
Blackford said last night: “It was inexcusable for the Prime Minister to cancel the meaningful vote on her Brexit deal last week, and with Parliament’s Christmas recess fast approaching, we now face a wait until January.
“Theresa May is guilty of running down the clock to offer a binary choice of her deal or a no-deal on Brexit – both of which would be disastrous for the UK economy.
“While each of us in the SNP, LibDems, Plaid and Greens hold differing positions, we share the common view that the Prime Minister’s deal should be defeated and that a ‘no-deal’ should be removed from the table. There are other options and we must ensure that as opposition parties we put that challenge to the Prime Minister.
The Greens' Caroline Lucas co-wrote the letter
“No party can achieve a result that will deliver in the country’s interests working alone and we have invited Jeremy Corbyn to join us. At this critical time, we must work together.”
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday signalled that navigating a deal through Parliament would be possible with EU assurances.
During an interview on BBC Radio Four he said: “The thing that the House of Commons won’t accept is any risk of us being permanently trapped, through the Northern Ireland backstop, in the customs union,” adding that he believed that the deal could be successful “with those guarantees that we need on the backstop”.
However, the Prime Minister’s current tactics faced criticism from close-ally and Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, who said that May would have to “engage with others and be willing to forge a consensus” in order to avoid further set-backs.
Rudd broke rank to pen her analysis in The Daily Mail, the first time a Cabinet minister has publicly urged Theresa May to reconsider her options.
She added that May should take “a more practical, sensible and healing approach”.
Former transport minister Jo Johnson joined the critics and told BBC Radio Four that it was “simply unacceptable” for the Prime Minister to “run out the clock and face the country with the prospect of being timed-out”.
Last week Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn lambasted the PM for delaying the key vote on the deal, demanding that Parliament be given a vote on it before Christmas.
He stopped short of calling a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister, however The Telegraph reported last Friday that both Sir Keir Starmer and Labour deputy leader Tom Watson have reportedly urged Corbyn to call an immediate vote of no-confidence.
Whilst the SNP could only table a motion on an opposition day, none remain this year. This means only Corbyn – as official opposition leader – can secure Parliamentary time for a vote.
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