PM's Brexit approach has more delays than railways, says Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn warned Theresa May's Brexit strategy is more chaotic than the rail timetable after he was pressed to rule out a second referendum.
The Labour leader likened the Government's European Union withdrawal approach to Northern trains, telling MPs the Prime Minister has "delivered more delays and more cancellations" than the franchise.
He also claimed Government "incompetence" threatens businesses and jobs as he sought to exploit Tory divisions over Brexit, against a backdrop of splits in his own party.
Jeremy Corbyn goes in on Brexit, asking if the white paper will be published ahead of the return of the EU Withdrawal Bill to the Commons next week. Theresa May asks him to rule out a second referendum
-- Harriet Line (@HarriLine) June 6, 2018
Mrs May simply replied "yes" when asked if she remains committed to leading the UK out of the EU by March 2019 and completing the transition period by December 2020.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, she declined to be drawn on when the Government would publish its detailed post-Brexit vision in a white paper, but pressed Mr Corbyn on whether he wants a second referendum.
Mrs May also accused Labour of trying to "frustrate the Brexit process at every stage".
The pair began PMQs by remembering the London Bridge terror attack, shortly after its first anniversary.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Corbyn said: "When it comes to Brexit, this Government has delivered more delays and more cancellations than Northern rail.
"The Government's white paper is delayed, its customs proposals have been cancelled and it has ripped up its own timetable - just like our shambolic privatised railways. This Government's incompetence threatens our economy, businesses, jobs and our communities.
"So, my question to the Prime Minister is this: which will last longer, the Northern rail franchise or her premiership?"
On Brexit government had more delays and more cancellations than Northern Rail says Corbyn #PMQs which will last longer the Northern Rail franchise or her premiership?
-- PARLY (@ParlyApp) June 6, 2018
Mrs May replied: "Labour voted for a referendum, they voted to trigger Article 50 and since then they have tried to frustrate the Brexit process at every stage."
She added: "Today we saw again they're refusing to rule out a second referendum.
"The British people voted to leave the European Union and it is this Government that is delivering on the vote of the British people."
Mrs May earlier stressed the importance of next week's votes on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which seeks to transfer EU law into UK law.
The Government is facing possible defeats after suffering 15 losses when the legislation was considered in the House of Lords.
Familiar #pmqs scenes as Theresa May refuses to answer questions from Jeremy Corbyn and Jeremy Corbyn refuses to answer questions from Theresa May. It's like two entirely disparate monologues.
-- Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) June 6, 2018
Mrs May said of the Commons votes: "They will be important to show our commitment to do what the British people have asked us to do, which is to leave the European Union.
"If he's talking about clarity ahead of those votes, perhaps he'd take the opportunity of doing what he refused to do when I asked him last time in Prime Minister's Questions, which is to stand up and rule out a second referendum."
Mr Corbyn replied: "The last time I looked at the order paper it said 'Prime Minister's Question Time'."
He added the Government's post-Brexit vision is "nowhere to be seen".
When Mr Corbyn asked if the Government was favouring Brexit Secretary David Davis's proposal for a 10-mile buffer zone to deal with the Irish border, Mrs May replied: "We are looking at a number of, er, we're looking at the two options for the customs model.
"Both of those will do what we have committed to do, which is to ensure that we deliver no hard border in Northern Ireland and we've been very clear in the December joint report about what that means."
