Theresa May has responded to criticism from her own MPs over talks with Jeremy Corbyn by saying all MPs have a responsibility to deliver Brexit.
The PM said the public "expect us to reach across this House to find a way through this".
Mr Corbyn said he welcomed the PM's "willingness to compromise to resolve the Brexit deadlock".
The PM's move to hold talks has angered some Brexiteers, with Wales Minister Nigel Adams resigning his role.
In his resignation letter, Mr Adams said the government was at risk of failing to deliver "the Brexit people voted for".
The PM is meeting Mr Corbyn before holding talks with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Ms Sturgeon - who met the Labour leader earlier - called for a long extension to work out the way forward and a public vote on any deal.
She tweeted that her meeting with Mr Corbyn had been "positive", adding that she would be "surprised and very disappointed if Labour sold out".
Mr Drakeford has said he wants to argue for a closer long-term economic relationship with the EU.
Kuenssberg: PM chooses a deal over party unity
Brexitcast: Theresa's Choice
Reality Check: What is Labour's Brexit plan?
What are the Brexit sticking points?
The UK has until 12 April to propose a plan to the EU - which must be accepted by the bloc - or it will leave without a deal on that date.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the PM announced she wanted to meet Mr Corbyn to agree a way forward and put the plan to a vote in the Commons before 10 April - when the EU will hold an emergency summit on Brexit.
She insisted her withdrawal agreement - which was voted down last week - would remain part of the deal. If there is no agreement between the two leaders, Mrs May said a number of options would be put to MPs "to determine which course to pursue".
In either event, Mrs May said she would ask the EU for a further short extension to hopefully get an agreement passed by Parliament before 22 May, so the UK does not have to take part in European elections.
But challenged on the decision at Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May said "every member of this House is involved in Brexit", adding: "I want to deliver Brexit, I want to deliver it in an orderly way, I want to do it as soon as possible... to do that, we have to get an agreement through the House."
Mrs May stressed that MPs had "rejected every proposal so far".
And Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay blamed hard Brexiteers in the pro-Leave European Research Group for making the PM move this way.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the alternative to the PM's deal was to seek votes from the opposition benches "because 35 of my own colleagues would not support the prime minister's deal".
And he warned that consequence of MPs not passing the PM's deal was either a "soft Brexit or no Brexit at all".
The PM said the public "expect us to reach across this House to find a way through this".
Mr Corbyn said he welcomed the PM's "willingness to compromise to resolve the Brexit deadlock".
The PM's move to hold talks has angered some Brexiteers, with Wales Minister Nigel Adams resigning his role.
In his resignation letter, Mr Adams said the government was at risk of failing to deliver "the Brexit people voted for".
The PM is meeting Mr Corbyn before holding talks with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Ms Sturgeon - who met the Labour leader earlier - called for a long extension to work out the way forward and a public vote on any deal.
She tweeted that her meeting with Mr Corbyn had been "positive", adding that she would be "surprised and very disappointed if Labour sold out".
Mr Drakeford has said he wants to argue for a closer long-term economic relationship with the EU.
Kuenssberg: PM chooses a deal over party unity
Brexitcast: Theresa's Choice
Reality Check: What is Labour's Brexit plan?
What are the Brexit sticking points?
The UK has until 12 April to propose a plan to the EU - which must be accepted by the bloc - or it will leave without a deal on that date.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the PM announced she wanted to meet Mr Corbyn to agree a way forward and put the plan to a vote in the Commons before 10 April - when the EU will hold an emergency summit on Brexit.
She insisted her withdrawal agreement - which was voted down last week - would remain part of the deal. If there is no agreement between the two leaders, Mrs May said a number of options would be put to MPs "to determine which course to pursue".
In either event, Mrs May said she would ask the EU for a further short extension to hopefully get an agreement passed by Parliament before 22 May, so the UK does not have to take part in European elections.
But challenged on the decision at Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May said "every member of this House is involved in Brexit", adding: "I want to deliver Brexit, I want to deliver it in an orderly way, I want to do it as soon as possible... to do that, we have to get an agreement through the House."
Mrs May stressed that MPs had "rejected every proposal so far".
And Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay blamed hard Brexiteers in the pro-Leave European Research Group for making the PM move this way.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the alternative to the PM's deal was to seek votes from the opposition benches "because 35 of my own colleagues would not support the prime minister's deal".
And he warned that consequence of MPs not passing the PM's deal was either a "soft Brexit or no Brexit at all".
0 comments
Post a Comment