Keir Starmer letter to David Davis calling for additional emergency round of talks

Keir
Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, has written to David Davis calling on him urgently to
request an additional emergency round of talks to try and reach an agreement
with EU negotiators before next week’s crucial EU Council meeting.

“Today’s
press conference confirms that the Government has failed to meet the target for
this round of negotiations.

“Ministers
have wasted months of the Brexit talks fighting amongst themselves. This
increases the chances that Britain will crash out of the EU without a deal.
That would be catastrophic for jobs and living standards and must be
rejected as a viable option.

“That is
why I have written to David Davis calling on the Government urgently to request
an additional emergency round of talks with EU negotiators in the coming days
to try and reach an agreement before next week’s EU Council meeting.

“The
Government must recognise the gravity of the situation. They must drop their
ideological red lines and work round the clock to find a resolution to the
current situation.”

Ends

Notes to
editors:

Full text
of the
letter:                     

Dear David

Article
50 negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union

I write
regarding the Article 50 negotiations between the UK Government and the
European Union (EU) following today’s press conference.

The
announcement of further progress on the rights of EU citizens and the issue of
Northern Ireland is welcome. It is also encouraging to see a more constructive
tone in the talks.

However, I
am deeply concerned that more than six months on from the triggering of Article
50 this round of discussions has ended without an agreement, with the European
Union warning of a “disturbing deadlock” over the divorce settlement. It now
looks likely that the EU Council next week will not be able to agree
negotiations have proceeded sufficiently to open up trade talks.

The
deadlock in negotiations increases the risk of Britain crashing out of the EU
without a deal. That would be catastrophic for jobs and living
standards and must be rejected as a viable option.

That is why
Labour is calling on the Government urgently to request an additional emergency
round of talks with EU negotiators in the coming days to try and reach an
agreement before next week’s EU Council meeting. The Government must recognise
the gravity of the situation, must drop the ideological red lines and work
round the clock to find a resolution to the current situation.

Given the
significant interest in this matter, I am making this letter public.

Yours
sincerely

Keir
Starmer MP

Shadow
Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union