Corbyn says Brexit delay is unavoidable

As the 29 March deadline approaches, Jeremy Corbyn says that it is "inevitable" that the government will have to delay Brexit. His reasoning is that there is not enough time to pass all of the required legislation. Along with his party,  he backs the idea of a three-month delay before Article 50 is put into action.

Today in the House of Commons, Theresa May announced to MPs that she is re-opening negotiations with the European Union in order to try and secure a deal that will pass through parliament. More specifically, the hope is that she can a forge a new compromise over the Northern Irish backstop arrangement.

During this session, a Labour MP tabled an amendment that seeks to make no-deal an illegal option. In backing this, Corbyn said that  it is the "first duty" of MPs to "block a disastrous no-deal." He added "[We start this] by calling for sufficient time for parliament to vote on options that prevent leaving with no deal."

He continued: "But whatever happens in the votes that follow, it has now become inevitable that the government will have to extend Article 50 in any scenario."

Importantly, he told the House that even if a deal that commanded a majority passed, there were still significant hurdles to jump in terms of primary and secondary legislation -- far too much to pass by the proposed deadline of 29 March.

May criticised the proposed amendments on the basis that they encumber her efforts and render a positive outcome more unlikely. Corbyn and the Labour party nevertheless suggest and predict a three-month delay on Article 50 -- something they believe will allow for a more optimal Brexit arrangement.