Express & Star

Tom Watson: May and Corbyn must lead by example over Brexit

Tom Watson has called on Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May to lead by example and compromise in a bid to resolve the country's Brexit crisis.

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Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has called for compromise over Brexit

The Labour deputy leader said the Prime Minister must accept that she is mostly to blame for Parliament's failure on Brexit, and insisted that the way to end the impasse was for her and Mr Corbyn to come together for the sake of the country.

He was speaking after both party leader's came in for widespread cross-party criticism overnight.

Mrs May faced a backlash after she pitched Parliament against the people in a Downing Street speech, blaming MPs for failing to implement the result of the EU referendum and telling frustrated voters: "I am on your side."

Meanwhile Mr Corbyn came under fire for apparently pulling out of a meeting between the Prime Minister and opposition party leaders because Independent Group member Chuka Umunna turned up.

It came as the Prime Minister headed to Brussels for a summit of EU leaders where she will make the case for extending the Article 50 withdrawal process to June 30.

'May is no deal maker'

West Bromwich East MP Mr Watson told the Express & Star: "Though she has many personal qualities, Theresa May is not a deal maker.

"She’s right that the parliamentary process is failing but she must accept that she is the most responsible for that.

"Even her senior cabinet colleagues are kept in the dark, ministers end up voting against their own motions and because of this she has lost the confidence of dozens of her own MPs.

"She’s also right that the people expect us to resolve this crisis. Every MP has to compromise but it starts at the top – with her and Jeremy Corbyn.”

Other politicians reacted in fury to Mrs May's speech, with Birmingham Labour MP Jess Phillips branding her "a national disgrace."

'Desperation'

Adrian Bailey, the Labour MP for West Bromwich West, said the Prime Minister's words smacked of desperation.

"I think it was the last stand of a desperate woman to try to turn the public against Parliament," he said.

"She is the Prime Minister and the buck stops with her. She was entrusted with carrying out the will of the people, but has never managed to adopt a strategy enabling that to happen."

'Irresponsible'

Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden has previously warned that the Brexit debate was being used to sow divisions between MPs and the public.

Commenting on Mrs May's speech, he said: "This is a dangerous moment for the country.

"That the Prime Minister chooses to use it to pitch Parliament against the people is hugely irresponsible. She has done this repeatedly in recent days."

The Prime Minister was also criticised by her own MPs, with pro-EU Tory Sam Gyimah, who quit as a minister over her deal, describing her remarks as "toxic".

"Resorting to the 'blame game' as the PM is doing is a low blow," he said.

"Democracy loses when a PM who has set herself against the House of Commons then blames MPs for doing their job."

Anna Soubry, who quit the Conservatives to join the breakaway Independent Group, described it as the "most dishonest and divisive statement from any Prime Minister".

Like Mrs May, Mr Corbyn was also heading to Brussels today for talks where he was due to meet EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

His decision to leave a meeting between the Prime Minister and other party leaders was described as "juvenile" at a time of national crisis by Mr Umunna, who quit Labour last month.

Mr Corbyn's move was branded "the nadir" by Lichfield Tory MP Michael Fabricant, who also suggested that Mrs May's speech would be unlikely to resolve the Parliamentary opposition to her deal.

Meanwhile, European Council President Donald Tusk said the question of how long an extension the EU's other 27 member states were prepared to grant "remains open".

But European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker warned Britain would have to leave by May 23 if it did not want to hold elections to the European Parliament – which start on that date – something Mrs May said she is determined to avoid.