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a botched deal that breaches the Prime Minister's own red lines, does not meet our six tests and will leave the country in an indefinite halfway house
Oh do fuck off Corbyn. This statement does not endear me to the man. Negotiations will be messy regardless of who's in charge on the UK side.
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When you're this close to the cliff edge of no deal you don't portray yourself as principled and stubborn. The only option left is pragmatism really.
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If Corbyn manages to force an election (a dim and distant prospect, I think), what room for manoeuvre he would have would really depend on the outcome of the court case determining whether the UK has a unilateral right to rescind its declaration to leave under Article 50 or whether it needs the assent of all the member states. This (or, rather, the question of whether it should go to the ECJ) has obviously just been referred to the UK's Supreme Court rather than going straight to the ECJ as determined by the Scottish legal system.
If the UK had a right to say 'hey, we were only kidding', an incoming Labour government could buy time in this way. There would obviously have to be a fair amount of spin.
Email from Corbyn to labour members:
Dear Big Balls,
The government is falling apart before our eyes. Their half-baked deal has unravelled, the Prime Minister has lost all authority and is clearly incapable of delivering a Brexit deal that commands even the support of her Cabinet - let alone Parliament and the people of our country.
Our Party Conference agreed that this deal would be judged against our six tests, and if it failed to meet them we would vote against it.
After two years of bungled negotiations, the government has produced a botched deal that breaches the Prime Minister's own red lines, does not meet our six tests and will leave the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say.
As I said in Parliament earlier today, people around the country will be feeling anxious about the industries they work in, the jobs they hold and the stability of this country.
We do not accept that the choice is between the government's deal and 'no deal'. We will work across Parliament to stop a 'no deal' outcome. Labour has set out our alternative plan for a sensible Brexit that would work for all of our nations and regions, bring Parliament and the country together, support jobs and our economy and guarantee rights, standards and protections.
If Parliament votes down this shambolic Tory deal — as seems likely — this will represent a loss of confidence in the government. In those circumstances the best outcome for the country is an immediate General Election that can sweep the Tories from power and deliver the Labour government this country desperately needs.
If we cannot get a General Election, in line with our conference policy, we will support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote.
We are ready to lead, ready to deliver a sensible deal that works for all our regions and nations and ready to build a Britain that works for the many, not the few.
Jeremy Corbyn
Leader of the Labour Party