Is Jeremy Corbyn right to insist on ruling out no deal before engaging?

[lazylittlelucy]

I am not a fan of JC and think he has repeatedly fucked up on Brexit but I also think it is IMPERATIVE that we avoid no deal.
Is he right to dig his heels in on this issue or is it just another example of his intransigence?
I'm inclined to think he is right, but are there good reasons why it should not be ruled out?

He doesn’t care- he just wants May out and the keys to number 10. He has no best interests at heart just his own xx

I've sort of gone off him, and the LP in general (So I don't want a GE...I'd struggle!) BUT I am glad he's done this tbh.

It's all a massive mess.

A responsible politician could make that a condition of talks at this late stage, I think. It's only what the majority in parliament believe, after all.

I think yes but I do think no deal is not in anyone's best interest

Saying that I think he knows she won't agree and won't deal with him

The no-deal Brexit option needs to remain on the table for future negotiations with the EU. If it's off the table, there's no reason for the EU to negotiate with the UK. A no deal Brexit will harm the EU just as much, if not more, than the UK, so it has to remain an option whilst we try to persuade EU to be flexible re other options.

I don’t know to be honest.
He is not interested enough or knowledgable enough on Brexit to actually be part of cross party talks.
I do get the stance but I think this is his stance and not necessarily that of the majority of the LP.
I think he should send a representative to the talks.
And I also think he should be fighting for a 2nd referendum.
Surely though it’s better to talk..........

I dislike him the least as far as our current set of politicians. And I really don't want a no deal brexit, but I agree it's imperative that they put their fucking egos away and start talking. I was livid they all swanned off on their nice Xmas breaks while nothing was decided on.

If it were up to me they'd be locked into the Houses of Parliament until they make a decent decision, like they do with Cardinals at the Vatican! Or just locked in and left there - that's another thought!

No. It’s outrageous. Now is the time for both party leaders to discuss a way through this, not for time wasting ovrer ultimatums. I think it reflects very badly on JC.

Bad, what do you mean? No deal means we crash out. How will that harm EU more than us? Govt holds a gun to our heads in the hope that EU will come up with a better cunning plan than Mrs May has devised, in ten weeks?

Bright, two and a half years ago was time to begin cross party negotiations. Perhaps he thinks she'll waffle on and do her own thing anyway.

In any negotiations the party who can walk away happily is the one who has the upper hand.

Going no deal has always been our strongest card.

It's the tie that has bound tm hand in all of this.

To take it off the table is madness.
It's a negotiating strategy!!

It shows how incompetent he really is by insisting it’s taken off the table.

Durgha

I agree these discussions should have started long ago. But that doesn’t mean it’s smart to refuse them now.

Why do they even need him there? He's an idiot and Yvette Cooper is there anyway

No. He’s hoping that a No Deal Brexit will bring about the Glorious Revolution and anyone who eats quinoa will be the first against the wall and shot.

He has advocated in the past for negotiating with Hezbollah and the IRA with nothing off the table.

But couldn’t possibly sit down to talk Brexit without no deal off the table.

Tit

He's certainly NBU to insist on a No No Deal but he's BU to make it a condition on engaging. It smells of public posturing.

But then again, his arse must be hurting from all those splinters.

He’s nothing but an agitator and a life long backbencher only out for the keys to number 10.

He wants his social revolution. No deal for him means the keys to the door.

He was willing to sit down with terrorists but not now.

He is a dangerous snake. I loathe him.

He's a dick. Whilst no deal is a shit option for us, it's a shit option for the EU as well. Publicly taking it off the table severely reduces our negotiating position and the EU will likely offer nothing more to the current deal, hoping that we are forced to cancel Brexit. Hmm, maybe he's not a dick after all!

No deal will unconditionally hurt uk much more than the EU.

Yes they do export more to us, however that is spread across 27 countries - the largest single impact being on Germany with ~6% of their trade being impacted - compared to our 40%.
Secondly the EU have been preparing for 2 years - we've bought a few fridges and chartered some ferries - no comparison.

For a 'threat' to be usable as a negotiating ploy it has to be credible - no deal will hurt the EU, but nothing like as much as it will hurt us and nothing like as much as the impact of changing their red lines.

They can’t twke it off the table because it’s a legal part of article 50 that if we don’t do a deal we have to leave without a deal. I agree we need it as a negotiating tool

I don't usually agree with Jezza but I do on this occasion.

He's sending a message that no deal is not an option... hopefully this will gain some momentum with other senior MPs and gain traction.

Don't see why TM is being so pig headed about everything but any action to stop her going ahead with no deal is welcome in my book

I think it’s an odd stance for him to take. Maybe if he spoke to her he could try to persuade her to take it off the table, and perhaps state what should be on the table, isn’t that the point of these discussions?

Agree that the threat of a no-deal is probably worth something as a point of negotiation with the EU.

I agree with Chukka on this. He is right to say it should be ruled out. He is very wrong to set conditions on meeting.

He can't spout on about her not wanting to meet and then refuse to when she does.

His letter stopping MPs from talking to them is just pathetic. Not that many are taking any notice.

I used to like him- and I still do agree with the socialism I think he stands for.

However the vote of no confidence and all his talk of a GE is stupid. It won’t help. We don’t need an election now. And we voted for our Brexit politicians in 2017.

He should be asking for no deal as part of his conversations not as a public posturing point,