Jeremy Corbyn says Labour to force confidence motion if May’s deal fails

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said his party will call for a confidence vote if Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement fails to get through the Commons once again.

The Prime Minister is expected to bring her deal back to MPs later this week after being rejected twice.

Speaking on Sky’s Sophie Ridge on Sunday programme, the Opposition leader Corbyn said a general election is needed if May again fails to rally enough support for the deal.

Corbyn said: ‘I suspect they’ll be defeated again, the whole process they are doing is running down the clock.

‘I think at that point a confidence motion would be appropriate.

‘At that point we should say there has to be a general election, so the people of this country can decide do they want a Labour government investing in people’s communities, dealing with inequality and injustice and having a relationship with Europe that protects jobs and guarantees our trade for the future.’

He said his main priority is to ‘make sure that we don’t crash out on the 29 March’ and protect jobs, industries and a future trade with the 27-member bloc.

He added he wants the public to have a ‘choice, a real credible choice, that the people can make on their future relationship with Europe.

‘At the moment we’re heading for a cliff edge with all the problems that has industry all over the country.’

While saying he’d have to ‘see the wording of it’, Corbyn also said he would throw his support behind an amendment that would see May’s deal being passed in Parliament if put to a referendum.

Meanwhile, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Tory leader called on MPs to make an ‘honorable compromise’ as she seeks their backing for the third vote on her deal.

She said failure to do so would mean ‘we will not leave the EU for many months, if ever’.