Jeremy Corbyn is heading to Brussels today to meet the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.
During his visit to Brussels, Mr Corbyn, who is visiting fresh from his fourth Labour Party Conference as the leader, will outline Labour’s position on Brexit. Mr Corbyn is expected to tell Michel Barnier that a “no-deal” Brexit is not an acceptable option. His talks, which come amid reports that Theresa May is losing the support of her cabinet, will aim to break the current Brexit deadlock.
Mr Corbyn will be travelling to Brussels alongside Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit Secretary. The visit will be 24 hours after his conference speech where he told Labour Party members that the party will vote against Mrs May’s Chequers plan in its current state. Mr Corbyn did though say that Labour would back a “sensible deal”.
Mr Corbyn said: “With just weeks of negotiating time left, it’s clear that UK-EU Brexit talks are in a perilous state.”
“Time is running out and companies are losing patience with the absence of any clarity from the government.”
“Crashing out of Europe with no deal risks being a national disaster.”
While in Brussels, Mr Corbyn will attend an event that will see a square in Brussels named after murdered Labour MP Jo Cox.
Mrs Cox, who was killed in 2016 by right-wing extremist Thomas Mair, regularly attended the Ancienne Belgique concert venue near the square in the city when she lived and worked in Belgium.
