Will Labour back Theresa May on Brexit and what came of the Labour’s NEC Brexit meeting?

LABOUR leader Jeremy Corbyn is a longtime Euro-sceptic who has played his cards close to his chest regarding Brexit.

But will Corbyn support Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan.

What did Jeremy Corbyn say in his letter to Theresa May?

Corbyn sent the PM a letter on February 6 outlining exactly how the Labour Party will support May.

The Labour leader made it clear that her modifications to the Northern Irish backstop are not enough to win his party’s support.

He told her that if she makes these five legally-binding commitments that Labour will support her.

The commitments are:

• A customs union that would include a say in future trade deals
• Being closely aligned with the single market
• Having UK standards on rights and protections similar to the EU
• Clear commitments on the UK’s future participation in EU agencies and funding programmes
• Cemented agreements on future security agreements with the UK

Will Labour support Theresa May if she agrees to these terms?

It is unclear.

Corbyn has already clashed with members of his own party who would rather have a second Brexit referendum.

The Labour leader is hoping this letter will get members to stop demanding the second referendum – as it is not mentioned in the letter.

Corbyn has called Labour’s approach “constructive”.

He has not mentioned extending Article 50.

Will the PM agree to the terms?

May has so far resisted reopening all negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement, except for making changes on the backstop.

No10 is also ready to publish legislation that outlines workers’ rights as early as next week, which is seen as an attempt to win support from Labour backbenchers.

Labour MPs who have spoken with the government has speculated that the right deal could win over 60 of the party’s MPs.

Labour MP Lisa Nandy said: “If she were able to come back, and stop this eternal circular conversation within the Tory Party, and start reaching out to the rest of parliament and the rest of the country and give us those assurances, I think you’d get somewhere between 40 and 60 Labour [MPs] who would be prepared to step forward and say: we’ve got to come together around this, otherwise we leave with no deal.”

What happened at Labour’s NEC meeting?

On April 30, 2019, Corbyn saw off a challenge spearheaded by his deputy Tom Watson for Labour to officially back a second referendum.

Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) said its manifesto for the European elections would be “fully in line” with its longstanding Brexit policy of supporting the party’s “alternative plan” for the EU exit.

A Labour source said: “And if we can’t get the necessary changes to the government’s deal, or a general election, to back the option of a public vote”, reports The Guardian.