Tag: Lisa Nandy

Those close to the Labour side have expressed surprise the talks have centred on persuading the opposition of the benefits of May’s negotiated deal, with extra involvement for parliament on the next phase of the deal. His comments suggest he would be unable to remain in the cabinet if May were to agree to a customs union. The political declaration, unlike the withdrawal agreement, can be reopened by the EU. But it is non-binding, even if May can be persuaded to include a permanent customs union and a hard Brexiter successor like Boris Johnson could disregard it. It has been suggested that the the prime minister would offer to rewrite the government’s withdrawal bill to enshrine any agreed customs arrangement in domestic law. However, senior Labour figures believe the protections in that amendment are relatively weak. However, there may be scope for the prime minister to offer a free vote in parliament on a confirmatory referendum if a deal is reached with Labour. Labour and trade unions have suggested the protections so far are insufficient and could be easily unpicked by future governments. It has called for full dynamic alignment of workers’ rights where new protections are automatically adopted – a demand understood to be under serious consideration. Environmental protections Gove has joined the talks on Tuesday with environmental protections and consumer standards likely to be on the table for discussions.