Theresa May must tell Parliament her Brexit negotiating strategy, Corbyn says

The Labour leader says there must now be ‘transparency and accountability to Parliament’ after the High Court’s ruling

Mr Corbyn has called on the Prime Minister to set out her terms ‘without delay’ (PA)

Jeremy Corbyn says Theresa May should tell Parliament her intentions in her negotiations with Brussels “without delay”, after the High Court ruled that it is parliament, not the Prime Minister alone, that has the authority to trigger Article 50, and set in motion Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Mr Corbyn, addressing the Class think tank in London on Saturday, and called for “transparency and accountability to Parliament” with regard to the details of plans to leave the European Union.

He also argued that all UK companies have the right to the same assurances as those given to Nissan in a secret letter by the Business Secretary Greg Clark.

“We can’t have secret deals on Brexit, company by company,” the Labour leader said. “All our businesses need the kind of assurances that Nissan has had about the shape of the Government’s Brexit plans to make the right investment decisions.

“Thursday’s High Court decision underlines the necessity that the Prime Minister brings the Government’s negotiating terms for Brexit to Parliament without delay.

“Labour accepts and respects the decision of the British people to leave the European Union. But there must be transparency and accountability to Parliament about the Government’s plans.

“I suspect the Government opposes democratic scrutiny of its plans because – frankly – there aren’t any plans, beyond the hollow rhetoric of ‘Brexit means Brexit’.”