UK Labour Leader Says Brexit Talks With Conservatives Stall Amid Customs Union Differences

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Tuesday that talks with the ruling Conservatives on core Brexit issues remained deadlocked, according to UK media

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2019) Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Tuesday that talks with the ruling Conservatives on core Brexit issues remained deadlocked, according to UK media.

"There has to be access to European markets and above all there has to be a dynamic relationship to protect the conditions and rights that we've got for environment and consumer workplace rights. We've put those cases very robustly to the government and there's no agreement as yet," he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

He said the government was not prepared to accept the Labour's demands on a customs union with the European Union. UK Prime Minister Theresa May is in favor of a new trade arrangement that would allow the country to strike trade deals with other nations, such as the United States.

"The government doesn't appear to be shifting the red lines because they've got a big pressure in the Tory party that actually wants to turn this country into a deregulated low-tax society which will do a deal with [US President Donald] Trump. I don't want to do that," Corbyn argued.

Cross-party talks aim to secure a majority in the House of Commons for the terms of the United Kingdom's exit from the bloc by October 31. The Labour is also seeking a confirmatory referendum on May's Brexit deal. The talks on this and other key issues are expected to continue after Easter.