Brexit: Customs union ‘most likely outcome’ of Theresa May-Jeremy Corbyn talks, admits minister

Remarks risk inflaming tensions in Conservative Party over cross-party negotiations

A customs union with the European Union is the “most likely outcome” of talks between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, a government minister has admitted.

In remarks that risk further inflaming tensions in the Conservative Party, the solicitor general Robert Buckland insisted his party needed “to compromise” to salvage Brexit.

Labour‘s key demand is for a customs union with Brussels, but Brexiteers vehemently oppose anything that would restrict the UK’s ability to strike independent free trade deals post-Brexit.

It also comes after the prime minister addressed the public in a video on Sunday, acknowledging her own UK-EU agreement was unlikely to command the support of parliament and hinted she was prepared to make a significant compromise.

As talks between Labour and the government entered a second week, Mr Buckland told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour a customs union will bring an end to freedom of movement and amounts to delivering on the “vast majority of the aims of Brexit”.

“It’s not perfect but, frankly, in this particular hung parliament none of us can get perfection, we need to compromise,” he said.

The solicitor general added that “something approximating a customs arrangement or customs union would be the most likely outcome” of the process.

But on Monday in a column for The Daily Telegraph, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson warned that Tory MPs would not allow Ms May to “surrender” to Mr Corbyn.

“If the UK were to commit to remaining in the customs union, it would make a total and utter nonsense of the referendum result,” he wrote.

“To agree to be non-voting members of the EU, under the surrender proposed by Jeremy Corbyn – it cannot, must not and will not happen.”

At the close of last week there was no sign of a breakthrough with talks between Mr Corbyn and the prime minister, as Labour accused Ms May of failing to offer “compromise or change” and accused her of refusing “to come forward” with anything new.

But speaking on Sunday in a video message recorded in her Chequers country retreat, Ms May said both sides will have to compromise in the cross-party discussions.

She said a “new approach” in cross-party talks with Labour was needed as “the choice that lies ahead of us is either leaving the EU with a deal or not leaving at all”.

Ms May added: “It’ll mean compromise on both sides but I believe that delivering Brexit is the most important thing for us.”