British Prime Minister Theresa May is hoping to restart stalled Brexit negotiations with her chief political rival Jeremy Corbyn, in her search for a compromise plan she can sell to European leaders at a crucial summit this week.
Over the weekend, Mrs May defended her decision to work with the main opposition Labour Party leader to help draft a new blueprint for leaving the European Union. Despite their differences, she warned that without Mr Corbyn’s support, Britain might never leave the trading bloc.
But the talks appeared to be stuck on Sunday (April 7) night, with no further meetings planned for Monday, according to two people familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The choice that lies ahead of us is either leaving the European Union with a deal or not leaving at all,” Mrs May said in a video message released on Sunday. “People didn’t vote on party lines when it came to the Brexit referendum and, you know, I think often that members of the public want to see their politicians working together more often.”
Britain is in the grip of a political crisis, with Parliament deadlocked and unable to agree to a plan to leave the EU. The country was due to depart on March 29 but couldn’t get a deal agreed to in time. This week, Mrs May is hoping EU leaders will give her a second short extension to the Brexit day deadline, until June 30, so she can carry on trying to get her plan through Parliament.