Why has Corbyn asked to meet EU Negotiator Barnier next week to discuss Brexit?

[TheaSaurass]

I know that team Corbyn claimed Labour won the June 8th General Election with Labour’s 262 parliamentary seats to the Conservatives 318, but now Article 50 has been triggered, the last thing a government needs is the leader of an opposition party deciding he needs to add his two pence worth – and that sends such weak negative negotiating signals to an EU side already playing hardball – and the markets funding our spending deficits and national debt.

Admitted Labour campaigned at the general election for a Brexit that respects the EU Referendum result, and understands that the UK will therefore have to leave the Single Market, but mirroring the obvious UK governments stance to an EU that sells substantially more to us than we do to them, Mr Corbyn wants the tariff free trade Mr Barnier confirmed just Friday – cannot be “frictionless” as we are leaving the Single Market to control our own borders.

Remarkably Mr Corbyn felt that he should mention Labour will not make a commitment “at this stage” (before an election due in 5-years has been called) to paying for access to a Single Market exporting more to us, but he DID just bring up the ‘Norway model’ he was said to have favoured before.

The ‘Norway model’ is more complex than (the UK) STILL paying the EU and still having the ‘Freedom of Movement’ of EU citizens who arguably would be more of a problem for a broader 65 million citizen economy UK, than the smaller 5 million economy of Norway – but for those remainers that pretend no one said on the Referendum ballot paper or in the media that we would leave the Single Market when many on interview were recorded saying just that – clearly no one at all said ‘Freedom of Movement’ of EU citizens, would remain after Brexit.

As what would be the main point of the UK leaving the EU if still ‘staying and paying’, with open borders, via a model that works for a mainly oil and fish economy of Norway with a more limited scope for unknown annual immigration numbers, versus a UK with services and home availability already stretched?

The General Election was early June, it is now early July, surely it’s a bit unseemly if anyone, never mind a party not in government, to start a dialog with the EU on a Brexit model that includes ‘Freedom of Movement’ without having first asked the people, via a general election manifesto commitment?

It defeats me how anyone can castigate Labour for a lack of unity over Brexit.

Like the government is totally united on the subject.

FFS the Tory numpties negotiating the exit on our behalf can't even agree on a bloody strategy!

Te;1£$($

Corbyn (and Sturgeon as head of the SNP party in Westminster) should be made by the UK parliament to explain EXACTLY what was said on their ‘away day’ to Brussels to ‘discuss’ all matters Brexit with the EU’s chief negotiator.

How can any Brexit legislation get through parliament when 'Mary Poppins' parties change their views, 'when the wind blows'.

“Labour to fight to keep UK in single market after Brexit”

It also makes you wonder if Labour stand by ANYTHING other than re-bloating the size and cost of the UK State in their last election manifesto, as there is no such thing as stating a party in government would respect the people’s Referendum and leave the EU, and STAYING in the Single Market (with freedom of citizen movement) and Customs Union.

Can anyone believe a policy this party campaigns on for votes at a general election?

Media supporters may call it a ‘shift’, but it’s a honking great u-turn, as weeks ago Corbyn on a Sunday political programme was asked to clarify Labour’s position (as attracted Leave and Remain votes at the last election) and he stated that the UK WAS leaving the Single Market.

And while the man currently setting Labour policy Keir Starmer says the time for “constructive ambiguity” is over this totally undermines the government’s position ahead of EU negotiations resuming next week.

Instead of getting on with it, Labour will only support a transitional period from 2021 to 2023 (leaving open the option to stay in for good), so while May did not get the election result she wanted, who can say she wasn’t right not to trust a parliamentary Labour Party pretending they supported Brexit to get legislation through parliament.

“Labour makes dramatic shift on Brexit and single market”

”Labour is to announce a dramatic policy shift by backing continued membership of the EU single market beyond March 2019, when Britain leaves the EU, establishing a clear dividing line with the Tories on Brexit for the first time.”

I know this is virtually a zombie thread, but did anyone else read the OpEd piece on Juncker and Barnier in this morning's Times. I cannot believe the EU's position on letting him "negotiate". He is a disgrace and a liability. But stupid enough to bluster on under the delusion that he is in charge.