Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Theresa May postponed a key parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal that her team secured in Brussels two weeks ago. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour opposition, described the situation as “extremely serious and unprecedented”.
French authorities are trying to capitalise on the current political chaos in the UK in order to lure British businesses “across the Channel”, according to The Times.
The remarks came after Prime Minister May announced the cancellation of the parliamentary crunch vote on the EU withdrawal agreement that her team secured two weeks ago, after lengthy negotiations with Brussels.
France has seen a wave of mass protests since mid-November, when the so-called Yellow Vest protesters — named after the high-visibility jackets drivers in France are required to keep in their vehicles at all times — took to the streets to rally against rising fuel prices and a planned hike in tax on diesel and carbon fuels.
The rallies have been marked by violent clashes with police officers, who have used tear gas and rubber bullets against the protesters. In the latest development, at least 150 people were reportedly detained during Saturday’s Yellow Vests protests in Paris.