May’s Government Persists With ‘Difficult’ Labour Brexit Talks

  • Theresa May’s government will continue talks with the main opposition Labour Party aimed at securing a Brexit compromise, as time runs out before the U.K. is forced to take part in European Parliament elections.
  • The premier’s spokeswoman, Alison Donnelly, told reporters on Friday that, “The talks are ongoing and they will continue next week. We will work as hard as we can to try and break the impasse.”
  • The Labour Party wants May to guarantee the U.K. will join a post-Brexit customs union with the European Union; May argues that would rule out pursuing free-trade deals with countries including the U.S.
  • Without a cross-party agreement, the U.K. looks certain to hold elections for the European Parliament on May 23, almost three years after the country voted narrowly to leave the bloc. 

(Source: Bloomberg)