A LEADING expert on Europe has suggested a Labour minority government would get a better Brexit deal than one negotiated by the Tories.
Kirsty Hughes, director of the Scottish Centre on European Relations, said a Labour minority government might lead to a less confrontational approach to talks and pointed out Labour sees “no deal” as the worst possible outcome.
The view contrasts with a raft of statements by Theresa May who has repeatedly said only a Conservative government could get a good deal from the EU27.
In an article in The National today, Hughes said: “The SNP, LibDems, Greens and SDLP have all supported either the UK, Scotland and/or Northern Ireland staying in the EU’s single market potentially through being in the European Economic Area.
“They support retaining free movement of people — and mostly want to stay in the EU’s customs union.
“If these parties hold the balance of power they could refuse to pass the key migration and trade bills necessary for Brexit to go ahead by March 2019 unless the minority Labour government went for a soft Brexit.”
UK Labour last week unveiled its team of three senior politicians — Keir Starmer, Shadow Brexit Secretary, Emily Thornberry, Shadow Foreign Secretary and Barry Gardiner, the Shadow International Trade Secretary — who would negotiate Brexit if Labour came to power.
Corbyn has said he wants to take the UK out of the single market but has ruled out a no deal situation — leaving open the prospect he would consider agreeing to a UK financial contribution in return for access to the single market.
An SNP spokesman said: “The election in Scotland is clearly between the SNP and the Tories. Only a vote for the SNP will provide a strong and effective opposition to the Tories — with all the damage that will do as they continue with more austerity, more cuts and a Hard Brexit.’’ A Scottish Labour spokesman: “We are fighting to form a majority Labour government for the many, not the few.”
Brexit talks are due to start on June 19. EU leaders have suggested they could be postponed to give Labour figures time to prepare should the party win the election.
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