Brexit news: Jeremy Corbyn to push for general election if Theresa May’s deal fails again

Jeremy Corbyn indicated he will try to force a general election should Theresa May‘s Brexit deal be voted down once again. 

The PM is expected to put her agreement with the European Union before parliament for a third time next week after already suffering two humiliating defeats in the commons.

Mr Corbyn today set out a firm stance on Brexit and raised the prospect of calling a confidence motion in the Prime Minister. 

Speaking to Sky’s Ridge on Sunday, he said: “We’ve had one confidence vote already.

“The government is apparently going to bring its proposals once again to parliament this week. I suspect they’ll be defeated again, the whole process they are doing is running down the clock.

“I think at that point a confidence motion would be appropriate. At that point we should say there has to be a general election.”

Pressed on if a defeat on the third meaningful vote would be the trigger to launch a motion he added: “We will obviously decide the exact moment.”

As well as this, the Labour leader suggested his party would back an amendment pushed by backbench MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson allowing a deal to pass the Commons, on the condition it is put to a referendum.

“We have obviously got to see the wording of it,” he said.

Then asked if he was “enthusiastic” about a referendum, Mr Corbyn said: “I’m enthusiastic about getting a deal with Europe which guarantees our future trading relationship and protects job and industries in this country.

“I do think people should have a choice on that.”

Asked how he would vote in a referendum he refused to confirm and said: “It depends what the choice is in front of us.”

His comments came after he wrote to MPs backing soft Brexit plans as well as supporters of a second referendum, inviting them for talks to find a cross-party compromise.

He called for urgent meetings to find a “solution that ends the needless uncertainty and worry” caused by what he called the PM’s “failed” Brexit negotiations.

Mrs May has warned MPs if they fail to back her Brexit deal at the third time of asking then Brussels might insist on a lengthy delay which she says could stop Brexit entirely.

The Prime Minister said it would be a “potent symbol of Parliament’s collective political failure” should a delay to Brexit mean the UK was forced to take part in May’s European elections nearly three years after voting to leave.

She warned if MPs did not back her deal before Thursday’s European Council summit “we will not leave the EU for many months, if ever”.