Brexit news latest: Labour slams Theresa May for offering country 'false hope' and calls for 'open and frank' debate

Labour has slammed Theresa May for offering the country “false hope and false promises” over Brexit as the party calls for an “open and frank debate” to break the Commons deadlock.

Following the crushing defeat of the PM's plan to leave the European Union, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer will say there are “no easy routes” out of the current crisis and "difficult decisions" will need to be made by Parliament.

It comes after Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to meet Mrs May for talks to discuss the way forward unless she kills off the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

In a letter on Friday evening, Mr Corbyn, the only Westminster leader to reject her offer of a meeting, accused the Prime Minister of "playing for time" and said the talks were "not genuine".

Later today, Sir Keir will say in a speech to the Fabian Society new year conference in London: "It's now time for an open and frank debate about how we break the deadlock.

"There are no easy routes out of the mess this Government has got us into on Brexit.

Sir Keir Starmer, who will warn breaking the Commons deadlock on Brexit will require an "open and frank debate"
PA

"Difficult decisions are going to have to be made by Parliament.

"Now is the time for an honest debate and for credible solutions to emerge."

In his letter, Mr Corbyn complained Mrs May had ruled out any extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process or a second referendum.

"Whatever one thinks of those issues, that reinforces the view these are not genuine talks, but designed to play for time and give the appearance of reaching out, whilst sticking rigidly to your own emphatically rejected deal," he wrote.

The PM has also made it clear she will not accept a customs union with the EU, a measure which Mr Corbyn said was "necessary" for any new proposal to command the support of MPs.

On Saturday morning, former prime minister John Major called for MPs to be given a free vote on the way forward on Brexit to break the deadlock in Parliament.

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He urged Mrs May to stage a series of "indicative" votes to enable her to establish which, if any, of the alternative proposals could command a majority.

"The Prime Minister still needs a deal. If she can't deliver one that Parliament accepts, then she needs to become a facilitator, a mediator, to find out what Parliament will accept," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

It came as the Financial Times reported that pro-Brexit Cabinet ministers had warned Mrs May she risks splitting the Conservative Party if she gave way to calls for a customs union.

After she spent Friday in Downing Street in meetings with senior ministers, the FT quoted a "cabinet official" as saying that she was told that a customs union was a "total no go".

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Among those believed to be present were International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, the Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom and Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Ms Leadsom told the Daily Telegraph that no-deal was the default position should no agreement be reached, adding: "If we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail our country."

She told the paper: "No-deal is not the desired outcome, but it would be incompetent for any responsible government to rule it out, and there are very good reasons for that.

"If we rule out no-deal, we can forget about the EU taking us seriously. We weaken our negotiating hand."

The Daily Mail reported that Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the Leave-inclined European Research Group, said no-deal was better than Mrs May's deal, but Mrs May's deal was better than not leaving at all.

Elsewhere Tory MP Nick Boles warned ministers were ready to resign if the Government tried to block moves to give MPs the power to block a no-deal Brexit.

In an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Political Thinking podcast, the former minister said their was a growing bandwagon behind plan which could enable parliamentarians to demand Article 50 is extended to allow fresh talks with Brussels.

"We have had indications that many ministers, including Cabinet ministers are very, very keen to see it pass and are telling the Prime Minister that they will not vote against it," he said.

"There is a bandwagon rolling, it's got a lot of momentum behind it and I very much hope that any MP who shares my view that a no-deal Brexit would be a disaster, will jump on board."

The Prime Minister is spending the weekend at her official country retreat at Chequers working on a statement to MPs on Monday setting out her approach following the overwhelming rejection of her Brexit deal by MPs.