THE SCOTTISH Nationalists have reached out to Labour to form a National Government with the sole purpose of remaining in the European Union.
Yesterday, chief lead writer at the Observer newspaper, Sonia Sodha, wrote: ‘The only failsafe way of ensuring we get an extension, if there’s no deal, is for opposition parties to pass a vote of no confidence and install Corbyn or someone else as PM.’
Scottish Nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted yesterday in reference to Sodha: ‘Agree with this. Vote of no confidence, opposition unites around someone for sole purpose of securing an extension, and then immediate General Election. Nothing is risk free but leaving Johnson in post is to force through no deal – or even a bad deal – seems like a terrible idea to me.’
When asked by News Line, the Liberal Democrats made clear that although they agreed with a National Government, they would not serve under a Corbyn-led government.
Their spokesperson said: ‘The question of whether or not we would support Corbyn in an emergency government is futile. He does not command the support of the House.
‘Liberal Democrats are clear that we need to bring people together and find a candidate that can command the support of the House, and to push this disgraceful Conservative government out of office.’
On the 14th August, Corbyn sent out a letter to all of the opposition parties urging them to form a National Government with him as a ‘caretaker’ leader.
In the letter, he said: ‘I intend to table a vote of no confidence at the earliest opportunity when we can be confident of success.
‘Following a successful vote of no confidence in the government. I would then, as leader of the Opposition, seek the confidence of the House for a strictly time-limited temporary government with the aim of calling a general election, and securing the necessary extension of Article 50 to do so.
‘In that General Election, Labour will be committed to a public vote on the terms of leaving the European Union, including an option to Remain.
‘Yours sincerely, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Opposition.’
This he sent to the Scottish and Welsh Nationalists, the Liberals, the Greens and ex-Tories Dominic Grieve MP, Oliver Letwin MP and Nick Bowles MP.
Meanwhile, Tory Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay was in Brussels yesterday for talks with the EU.
However, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, told diplomats the UK’s proposed alternative to the Irish backstop was ‘unworkable’.
Downing Street said ‘progress has been made’ but there were still ‘significant obstacles’ to reaching a deal.
Ahead of Friday’s meeting, Barnier said the UK government’s proposed solution to the backstop would ‘put the single market at risk’.
The European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, who met Barnier on Thursday, said the UK’s proposals to resolve the Irish backstop issues ‘fall short’.
He insisted any plan must work to ‘preserve consumer safety, to protect our businesses and preserve the peace’.
