WORLD
Corbyn has welcomed the talks, but the invitation poses a threat for his divided Labour Party - some members and lawmakers are demanding a second referendum on any deal while others fear being blamed for helping pass May's much-criticised agreement.
Twenty-five lawmakers in Britain's opposition Labour Party have urged their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to go the "extra step" if there is a chance of agreeing a Brexit deal in talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. May, whose deal to leave the European Union has been rejected in parliament three times, has turned to Corbyn in a last-ditch bid to get the support of his Labour Party for an agreement she signed with the bloc's leaders in November.
Corbyn has welcomed the talks, but the invitation poses a threat for his divided Labour Party - some members and lawmakers are demanding a second referendum on any deal while others fear being blamed for helping pass May's much-criticised agreement.
The 25 lawmakers, almost all from areas which voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, said the talks "represent a real opportunity" for Corbyn, a way to get a deal which would meet Labour's demands for a Brexit that protected workers' rights.
They reminded him in the letter that he had told May Labour would support a "sensible deal" that included "a customs union and no hard border in Ireland", protected jobs and workers, environmental and consumer standards.
"We believe you are close to achieving that in the coming days," said the letter whose signatories include Labour's schools spokesman Mike Kane and three lawmakers who last week voted in favour of May's deal: Rosie Cooper, Caroline Flint and Kevin Barron.
"At the general election, we were clear about respecting the 2016 vote, and about securing those Labour goals. Therefore, we feel if compromise is necessary to achieve this deal and avoid fighting the European elections, we should go the extra step to secure this."
Corbyn, a long-standing critic of the EU, has long said he wants Britain to leave the bloc with a deal, respecting the 2016 referendum when 52 percent of voters backed leaving the bloc in Britain's biggest shift in policy since World War Two.
But the opposition leader has been content to watch the governing Conservative Party take on Brexit, a move that has not only divided the country, but has all but redrawn the political landscape by widening rifts in the main parties.
In a last gamble, May announced she would bring Corbyn into talks to try to find a way to break the deadlock in parliament, which has voted against leaving the bloc without an agreement.
Corbyn is pressing his desire for a "permanent customs union" and alignment with the EU's single market in the talks - red lines for a prime minister who had made controlling immigration one of the key stones of her Brexit policy.
But the Labour leader is under growing pressure to make any agreement with May conditional on holding a confirmatory referendum on the deal, or asking the public to back it in another vote. The 25 lawmakers said such a vote was not part of Labour policy.
"Our policy, agreed by members, accepts that the public voted to leave the EU and seeks a deal that secure jobs and rights at work. It does not require a confirmatory ballot on any deal that meets those conditions," the letter said.
"Delaying for many months in the hope of a second referendum will simply divide the country further and add uncertainty for business. A second referendum would be exploited by the far right, damage the trust of many core Labour voters and reduce our chances of winning a general election."
Bigg Boss 18: Nyra Banerjee gets evicted from Salman Khan-hosted show in double elimination week
Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 Final: Afghanistan A beat Sri Lanka A by 7 wickets to lift maiden title
'Big loss': Australian head coach reacts to Mohammed Shami's absence from Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Viral video: Man claims to finds dead lizard floating in beer bottle in Telangana, watch
'Example of India's crumbling infrastructure...': LoP Rahul Gandhi over stampede in Bandra terminus
Diwali 2024: Exact date, shubh muhurat of Lakshmi Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj; know here
'There was no response from....': S Jaishankar criticises Congress over Mumbai 26/11 attacks
Hoax bomb threats to Indian flights continue, 50 flights disrupted today
'There will be cracks in team': Ex-India star issues stern warning following Pune Test defeat
'Suno Lawrence Bishnoi...': Man threatens gangster in viral video, backs Salman Khan, WATCH
Who is Gursimran Kaur? 19- year old Indian woman found dead in Canada's Walmart oven
UP: Taj Mahal engulfed in thick haze as pollution rises in Agra, pics surface online
Sonam Kapoor dazzles in rust lehenga with unique soil and clay body ornament at Diwali party
Diljit Dosanjh's ‘Dil-Luminati’ tour breaks concert records in India as it becomes…
This is what Ratan Tata expected in Noel Tata in order to succeed him as Tata Sons Chairman
‘True Hero’: Zomato delivery agent with no hands becomes inspires internet
UP: 10 hotels in Lucknow receive bomb threats via email, sender demands Rs 46 lakh ransom
'Aishwarya Rai in my arms': Old Vivek Oberoi video clip goes viral amid divorce rumours
Pakistan T20I, ODI squads for Australia, Zimbabwe tours announced; captain not yet revealed
THIS Indian state recorded highest number of stubble-burning cases, it’s not Punjab, Haryana
Mumbai engulfed in layer of smoke as AQI dips to 'poor' ahead of Diwali festival
Meet superstar who was only 15 when romantically paired with 55 year old star, the film was...
Mohammed Shami drops first reaction after BCCI leaves out star pacer from Team India's BGT squad
Ghaziabad to Kanpur in 5 hours? 380 km expressway to connect 9 UP districts, will be completed by...
Zomato's specially-abled delivery agent's unstoppable spirit melts hearts online, watch viral video
Salman Khan announces Da-bangg Tour in Dubai amid death threats, fans say 'Tiger Zinda Hai'
World’s most polluted city has AQI of 700, it’s not Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru
Will Vande Bharat sleeper train outclass Rajdhani Express? Here's all you need to know
Rama Ekadashi 2024: Know date, history, vrat rituals, shubh muhurat, and significance
Meet filmmaker allegedly slapped by Shah Rukh Khan, gave big flops with Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan
Why lifts have mirrors? Reason will surprise you
Delhi chokes amid rising air pollution, AQI crosses 400 at...
Gujarati is now third most-spoken Indian language in THIS country, not US, UK, Australia, it is...
NASA Alert: Giant 500-foot asteroid, as big as a skyscraper is approaching Earth tomorrow at...
Chinese woman calls Indian food ‘dirty’, changes her mind after..., watch viral video
5-20-30 rule to lose belly fat: Know benefits, risks and a step-by-step guide
ISRO chief reveals launch dates for upcoming missions: Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4 likely in…
J-K: Terrorist hideout busted in Poonch; two grenades, three Pakistani mines recovered
Apple iPhone 16 is now banned in THIS country due to…
'Can fit 20 Empire States inside': World's largest building worth Rs 415000 to come up in…
More than 22000 kilograms cheddar cheese worth Rs 3 crore stolen in major scam from…
Maharashtra: Stampede at Mumbai's Bandra Terminus leaves 9 injured
World’s richest man Elon Musk briefly worked illegally in US after quitting…: Report
Anupamaa actress Nidhi Shah says Rupali Ganguly is insecure: 'Mere saath toh bahut...'
Tata-Airbus Project: PM Modi, Spain PM Sanchez to inaugurate TATA aircraft complex in Gujarat today
Delhi-NCR Pollution: Delhi's air quality hits 'very poor' category, AQI drops to...
Israel versus Iran: Know the current situation in 10 points
4 Indians, including siblings, killed in accident as their Tesla crashes into divider in Canada
Here's why Do Patti actor Shaheer Sheikh is called 'Shah Rukh Khan of Indonesia'
Meet Rachel Gupta who became first Indian to win Miss Grand International, she is from...
Indian girl dances with US man on Bhojpuri song in front of India Gate, VIDEO goes viral
Why Ratan Tata didn’t give anything to brother Noel Tata in his will? Reason is….
Bigg Boss 18: Double elimination in house, Nyra Banerjee's BB journey ends? Here's what we know