Corbyn Calls for More Transparency over Brexit

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has called on the government to reveal its plan on how it would leave the European Union (EU), accusing Prime Minister Theresa May of having no plan behind her “hollow rhetoric”, Press T.V reported.

At a conference on Saturday, Corbyn said his party “accepted and respected” the decision of voters to leave the EU, but there needed “transparency and accountability” to Parliament about the government’s plans.

On June 23, some 52 percent (17.4 million) of British people voted to leave the EU after 43 years of membership. The vote called Brexit sent shockwaves throughout the world and prompted the EU members to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty — the step required to officially begin the withdrawal — as soon as possible.

Corbyn formerly said Prime Minister May has to get approval from parliament to trigger Article 50.

On Thursday, the High Court ruled that May must get parliamentary approval to start exit negotiations, but the government said it will appeal against the decision.

“I suspect the government opposes democratic scrutiny of its plans because frankly there aren’t any plans,” Corbyn said, adding “There are no plans beyond the hollow rhetoric, which they keep on repeating – apparently – that Brexit means Brexit.”

May, who said she will not begin the Brexit process by the end of March 2017, constantly reaffirms that “Brexit means Brexit.”

Corbyn also said jobs, living standards and the economy are the first priority and that Brexit should allow access to the European market.

May has been pressured by some politicians to peruse the so-called hard Brexit, which suggest surrendering access to the EU’s single market and

scrap free movement of EU nationals in return for securing control over immigration.

Leave campaigners insist that Brexit is a sovereign decision that should be completed as quickly as possible. They say the option of soft Brexit, which was introduced by those who had supported the country’s remaining in the union, would keep Britain’s borders open to refugees.

But May, who had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, has said she wanted to give the country’s businesses the “maximum freedom” to trade with and operate within the union, when she starts formal exit talks.

R.S