Brexit: Tory Anger as EU Sizes Up Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn is revelling in a newly-elevated status in Europe as EU leaders begin to treat the Labour leader as their potential Brexit negotiating partner because of uncertainties about Theresa May’s grip on power.

The Labour leader held lengthy meetings last week with the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier (left) and other senior officials in Brussels who worry that a change of leader in Westminster could plunge Brexit negotiations into new confusion.

Fears that the Conservative Party might turn to a more hardline Brexiteer such as Boris Johnson or David Davis have already contributed to a more sympathetic tone towards May from the other 27 EU heads of government in recent days.

And the Prime Minister’s reliance on the 10 MPs of the Democratic Unionist Party for her tiny House of Commons majority means Brussels also has to contemplate the possibility that there could be a new election in the 17 months before Brexit officially takes place in March 2019.

With the departure negotiations making little progress in the 16 months that have already passed since the UK’s Brexit referendum EU officials worry that any new leader could change the whole tone of the complex talks.

Corbyn was feted in Brussels last week, where he met the centre-left Prime Ministers of Italy, Portugal and Sweden and held a detailed Brexit briefing with Barnier that was scheduled for an hour but ran 20 minutes over time.

The Labour leader also received a standing ovation at a meeting of centre-left party leaders from around Europe, and had a warm meeting with European Parliament president Antonio Tajani of Italy, who last week dismissed as “peanuts” May’s offer of 20 billion Euros in future payments to the EU.

Just a year ago Corbyn struggled to get time with senior officials in Brussels but this time around he was treated more as a Prime Minister in Waiting.

Gianni Pittella, the Italian leader of the socialist group in the European Parliament, introduced Corbyn to the meeting of centre-left MPs as “the future Prime Minister of the UK”, noting that Labour’s increase in support at this year’s general election was an encouraging contrast with the recent poor performances of centre-left parties in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

“Like a Rockstar”

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage complained angrily that EU officials were treating Corbyn “like a monarch” in an attempt to undermine the British Government in Brexit talks.

Pittella’s praise of Corbyn, who was accompanied by his Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer, led Farage to claim in a Sky television interview that politicians in Brussels were “intervening in British politics” and treating Corbyn as “some sort of rockstar”.

“They shouldn’t be negotiating with the Scottish National Party or Jeremy Corbyn but they are,” Farage insisted. When it was put to him that Corbyn had merely been treated as a visiting party leader Farage said: “No, no, no. He was treated as if he was a monarch.  They would love to sow division in British politics. Frankly, they would love Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister because Labour’s position now is that they will accept any deal.”

Syed Kamall, the Conservative leader in the European Parliament said Corbyn’s visit undermined Britain and helped the EU. “He is effectively Michel Barnier’s puppet,” Kamall said.

Tory MP Anna Soubry said it was ridiculous to claim that Corbyn might do a better job in Brexit negotiations than Theresa May. “Seriously? The biggest thing Corbyn’s negotiated is who’s speaking first at the Islington Labour Party AGM,” she said.

While many European leaders would like Corbyn to advocate cancelling Brexit altogether the Labour leader insisted in Brussels that the referendum vote for leaving the EU “must be respected”, ruling out Labour supporting a second referendum. Instead he differentiated himself from May by saying he was fiercely against the “no deal” hard Brexit that some prominent Tories claim would be “perfectly fine”.

“I am unapologetic in taking every opportunity to seek to influence the final Brexit deal in the interests of the many, not just the few,” the Labour leader said. “We cannot countenance the idea that we just run headlong into no deal in Europe. No deal would be catastrophic for manufacturing, industry and jobs. I don’t want to see that.”

Corbyn said that if he was PM he would inject new life into the Brexit talks by legislating on issues such as EU citizens’ status. “You cannot leave EU nationals living in Britain in the limbo land they are living in. We would immediately legislate on EU nationals. We would propose legislation on workers’ rights, consumers’ rights and environmental rights.”

“The Prime Minister seems to have managed to upset just about everybody and have a warring cabinet around her. It is up to her to get the negotiations back on track. As the Government’s splits and Brexit bungling become ever more damaging, Labour stands ready to take up responsibility for the Brexit negotiations.”

 

by Peter Wilson

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