Prime Minister Theresa May has delivered a set-piece speech to the House of Commons on Britain’s ongoing negotiations with the EU.
Mrs May pledged that Britain would definitely leave the EU’s Single Market and Customs Unions, and rejected a European Economic Area (EEA) type relationship with the bloc, arguing this would mean sacrificing too many decision-making powers to Brussels. She also rejected a Canada-style trade agreement, saying she did not regard it as sufficiently ambitious.
The Tory leader confirmed the Government hopes to implement a time-limited ‘transition period’ of “around” two years after Britain’s formal departure from the European Union during which little will change in practical terms, so British and EU businesses can adjust.
She added, however, that it is the Government’s responsibility to prepare for a ‘No Deal’ scenario, and that it will be publishing White Papers explaining how it intends to do so.
She told Members of Parliament that the ball was in the European Union’s court with respect to progressing the negotiations, adding she was optimistic of a “positive outcome” — but was shot down by intransigent eurocrats who responded to a leaked copy of her speech before she could even deliver it, saying the Brexit negotiations were not a ball game, but if they were the ball would be in Britain’s court.
Denmark Blasts EU’s ‘Games’, Calls for Swift Deal as Brussels Rejects May’s Brexit Intervention
https://t.co/EMccoi9H4O— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 9, 2017
Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of the Labour opposition, responded to Mrs May’s statement by claiming the country was no further on in knowing what Britain would look like after Brexit fifteen months after the referendum, asking: “What on earth has the Government been doing all this time?”
The 68-year-old was heckled for “scaremongering” after suggesting that Britain’s public services could be “ripped apart” once it leaves the bloc, and urged Mrs May to guarantee the right of EU nationals to remain in Britain unilaterally, without first securing assurances that British nationals in the EU will be extended the same courtesy.
Corbyn took the Conservative Party to task over its internal fissures, suggesting that half its MPs want Remain-supporting Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond ejected from the Cabinet, while the other half want Brexit-supporting Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to be sacked instead.
The Prime Minister hit back at Corbyn for his own “confused position”, noting that his party has committed to leaving the Single Market and leaving the Customs Union, and then changed its position to leave the possibly remaining in the Single Market and Customs Union open, with no clear indication as to what the party’s position on Brexit really is down to the present day.
Mrs May also pointed out that Mr Corbyn had pledged that Labour would respect the result of the 2016 referendum, but subsequently had his MPs vote against the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill when it came before Parliament.
Kassam: Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Mogg https://t.co/nkWIl1Sk8c
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 6, 2017
The Prime Minister revealed she may potentially make a very major concession in response to a question from star backbencher Jacob-Rees Mogg, however.
Rees-Mogg asked her to confirm that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) would not continue to have jurisdiction in Britain beyond 2019, and that Britain would not be subjected to new EU directives and regulations during any transition period without the express permission of Parliament.
Mrs May indicated that the transition deal may indeed involve continued ECJ juristidiction during a transition period, depending on how negotiations with Brussels shake out, and would not deny that Britain would be subjected to new EU directives and regulations during it.
She suggested that it was “unlikely” that Britain would not already have had some input into such legislation prior to 2019, and that any legislation brought onto the agenda after 2019 would take too long to progress through the various EU institutions for Britain to have to worry about adopting it.
This story is developing…
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