Labour accused of plotting to keep UK in the EU

Jeremy Corbyn was last night accused of plotting to keep Britain in the EU ‘in all but name’ after Labour performed a staggering U-turn over Brexit.

Sir Keir Starmer yesterday claimed the party was now committed to staying in both the single market and the customs union for years after Brexit.

The party’s Brexit spokesman said Labour policy was to remain in both for the duration of a ‘transition period’ after Britain formally leaves the EU in March 2019 – which he said could be as long as four years. 

That would mean Britain having to continue hefty payments to Brussels, as well as accepting open borders.

Last night, Labour leader Mr Corbyn admitted he had no clue how long such a transition period might last.

Last night, Labour leader Mr Corbyn admitted he had no clue how long such a transition period in the single market and customs union might last

And Lord Mandelson, a former trade secretary and European commissioner, tells today’s Financial Times that Labour had ‘done Parliament and the public a big favour’ by adopting a policy which could save Britain from the self-inflicted economic harm of an abrupt departure from the single market and customs union.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir even admitted that Labour was now open to remaining in the single market permanently if the EU was willing to negotiate over free movement. The complete about turn came a few weeks after Mr Corbyn repeatedly pledged to support leaving the single market and sacked three shadow ministers for backing continued membership in a Commons vote.

Sir Keir even admitted that Labour was now open to remaining in the single market permanently if the EU was willing to negotiate over free movement

Sir Keir even admitted that Labour was now open to remaining in the single market permanently if the EU was willing to negotiate over free movement

Eurosceptics within the party last night warned that there would be a backlash if the leadership betrayed the millions of Brexit voters in Labour’s heartlands simply to pick up the votes of those who voted Remain.

Labour Leave, a group of Brexit-supporting MPs and party members, said the leader needed to ‘honour the referendum’.

One U-turn after another 

April 23 Jeremy Corbyn told the BBC: ‘The single market is intrinsic to membership of the European Union.’

June 11 Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told ITV: ‘Let’s be clear: we are respecting the decision of the referendum. We are democrats. I think people will interpret membership of the single market as not respecting that referendum.’

June 18 Labour Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC: ‘We want to retain the benefits of the single market and the customs union. Formal membership, full membership is only available to EU member states.’

June 29 Three shadow ministers were sacked by Mr Corbyn and a fourth resigned after they and 45 other Labour MPs defied the party and backed a Queen’s Speech amendment calling for Britain to remain in the single market and customs union.

July 6 The Labour leader told Bloomberg: ‘The single market is a concept that requires membership of the European Union.’

July 23 Mr Corbyn told the BBC: ‘The single market is dependent on membership of the EU. The two things are inextricably linked.’ 

Brendan Chilton, its general secretary, said: ‘Single market membership is EU membership in all but name. This is mission creep for Brussels by people who have not accepted the result of the referendum. There will be millions of voters who came to Labour at the last election who feel let down.’

Tory ministers have accepted the need for a time-limited transition period to put in place a new UK-EU relationship after the country leaves on March 29, 2019.

But they insist that the UK must be outside the single market and customs union during this time so it is allowed to control migration and strike new trade deals with non-EU countries.

Writing in The Observer yesterday, Sir Keir said he wanted to be ‘absolutely clear’ about what Labour wanted, but he put no time frame on the transition.

The period would be ‘as short as possible, but as long as is necessary’ and would be time-limited in order to prevent it becoming ‘a kind of never-ending purgatory’.

He wrote: ‘Labour would seek a transitional deal that maintains the same basic terms that we currently enjoy. That means we would seek to remain in a customs union with the EU and within the single market during this period. It means we would abide by the common rules of both.’ Sir Keir suggested Labour could remain in the single market and customs union permanently if there was a ‘more effective management of migration’.

He wrote: ‘We will always put jobs and the economy first. That means remaining in a form of customs union with the EU is a possible end destination for Labour, but that must be subject to negotiations.

‘It also means that Labour is flexible as to whether the benefits of the single market are best retained by negotiating a new single market relationship or by working up from a bespoke trade deal.’ Mr Corbyn yesterday endorsed the plan, while also refusing to say how long the transition period would be. He said: ‘I don’t know what the length of it would be. I hear the Government is thinking in terms of two years but we’re not putting a time limit on it.’

The Tories accused Labour of having ‘no idea’ of what it wanted as it claimed this was the party’s tenth Brexit plan in 14 months. A spokesman said: ‘Their leader can’t say they would end unlimited freedom of movement, they can’t decide whether we are leaving the single market and they have no vision for what Britain should look like outside the EU.’

But last night pro-EU Tory MPs claimed Mr Corbyn’s about turn would put pressure on Theresa May to compromise on her plans for a clean break from Brussels.

Former business minister Anna Soubry told the Financial Times: ‘Everything has now shifted to the arguments we have been making for some considerable time.’ 

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