After criticisms that Corbyn prefers to lay into the Prime Minister on the familiar territories such as the NHS crisis, police cuts, poverty and the treatment of disabled people, today at Prime Minister’s Questions the Leader of the Opposition sought to capitalise on Conservative Party divisions on Brexit.
Watch the full exchange below – and the Labour Leader’s face at the Prime Minister’s appalling joke about Czech spies at the end!
Jeremy Corbyn started with a particularly awkward question, echoing the words of Theresa May’s former Brexit minister, Conservative peer Lord Bridges:
“One of the Prime Minister’s former Brexit Ministers in the other place warned her that Britain will be walking a “gangplank into thin air” if she does not decide what she actually wants on leaving the European Union.
“In his speech, the Brexit Secretary also said that fears about a deregulatory “race to the bottom” were “based on nothing”. Why, then, did his own Department’s exit analysis state that there could be opportunities for Britain in deregulating areas such as environment and employment law?”
Theresa May responded, insisting that she intended “to ensure that this is a country that can negotiate free trade deals around the rest of the world.”
But Corbyn referred to the Tory Hard Brexiteers’ letter in the Telegraph today, adding: “62 of her Back Benchers want a bonfire of regulations and to destroy workers’ rights in this country.”
The Labour Leader also referred to the Good Friday Agreement being jeopardised by the Tory U-turn over leaving the Customs Union, adding: “the Foreign Secretary recently made a speech about Brexit and found time to mention carrots, spam, V-signs, stag parties and a plague of boils.
“There was not one mention of Northern Ireland in his speech.”
In a rowdy PMQs session, Commons Speaker John Bercow had to chide the Conservative MP’s trying to bay over Corbyn and drown him out.
Watch the full exchange and comment below:
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn clash on Brexit at last in PMQs
Prime Minister Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn in a rare but vicious clash on Brexit at today's #PMQs – (Watch Corbyn's face at the end after May's Czech joke!!!)Who do you think came off best?? = Theresa May❤️ = Jeremy Corbyn? = sadly, neither come off looking good
Posted by The London Economic on Wednesday, 21 February 2018
MORE:
Photo emerges of Russian exposed as spy with “good friend” Boris Johnson
