- The Talks Between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have been reported to be constructive
- Both are trying to reach a compromise as the second Brexit deadline approaches
- May has stated that she will ask for another extension
Most of Theresa May’s tenure as prime minister of Britain has been focused on handling the country’s leaving the European Union and the last few weeks, in particular, have been very busy.
May tried and failed on three occasions to get her Brexit deal to be passed by the House of Commons and even as there are calls for her to resign, the country doesn’t seem any closer to settling on a Brexit deal even as the extended deadline rolls closer.
In a last-ditch effort following the rejection of different Brexit deals by parliament, May reached out to Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition party in an attempt to find some common ground and move forward.
As of today, those talks appear to have been moderately successful.
Teaming Up
From what has been reported, both leaders are putting their best foot forward and pooling their resources together to secure a vote.
During their meeting on April 3rd, they agreed to a “programme of work” to push their goal forward. It is also said that both have put together a negotiation team that met late on April 3 and and will meet again on the 4th for a full day of negotiations.
These details were made known by a spokesperson for Corbyn who says that the two are committed to ending the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
Corbyn said however after the initial meeting that there hasn’t been as much change in May’s position as he had hoped for.
During their talks, Corbyn brought up customs arrangements, trade agreements and even holding another referendum to determine whether the British public still wants to go along with Brexit.
There was also a meeting between the two and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has expressed concern over the deadline and how it might affect decision making:
“My concern is that in the rush to reach some compromise with the clock ticking, what will happen over the next few days… is a bad compromise will be reached.”
House of Commons not satisfied
While May and Corbyn are meeting privately, the House of Commons is debating a piece of legislation that would require the prime minister to request another extension of the Brexit deadline and give parliament the power to amend the deal as they see fit. This bill has already passed the first reading.
There is still a ticking clock as the UK has until April 12th to either pass a Brexit deal or leave the EU without one. Regardless of whether the two leaders reach a deal, May has said that she will ask for a second short extension in order to pass a deal before May 22, 2019, and prevent the UK from having to participate in the European elections.