The Brexit promises of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt show they have “no grip on reality”, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said.
Mr Corbyn tore into the Tory leadership contenders in the Commons yesterday after Theresa May updated MPs on the latest European Council meeting.
Mr Corbyn, to shouts and barracking from Tory MPs, warned that regardless of who wins the race to Number 10 there was no mandate for “a disastrous hard-right Brexit”.
He added that Labour would work to block a no-deal Brexit.
He said: “Whatever Brexit plan the new Tory leader comes up with, after three long years of failure, they should have the confidence to go back to the people and let them decide the future of this country.”
Mrs May said the EU member states have reiterated their desire to “avoid a disorderly Brexit” and committed to work “constructively” with her successor as prime minister.
She maintained no-deal Brexit preparations were continuing as it is the default legal option on October 31, before insisting she has “done everything” to avoid the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.
The prime minister steered clear of telling MPs what Mr Johnson or Mr Hunt should do, or could achieve, in further talks with the EU when challenged by MPs.
Mr Corbyn claimed the government has “wasted” the three years since the 2016 EU referendum before asking: “Does the prime minister now regret that instead of warning of its disastrous implications, she continued to legitimise the idea of no-deal?
“The two Tory leadership candidates are still saying that if they can’t renegotiate the backstop, which the EU leaders said was not possible last week, then they would pursue a no-deal exit.
“Will the prime minister tell us whether she believes no-deal should be on the table as a viable option and, in her view, what would be worse, crashing out with no deal in October, or putting this issue back to the people for a final say?”
He said neither foreign secretary Mr Hunt nor Mr Johnson have a “credible” Brexit plan, adding: “It is deeply worrying that those who seek to lead this country have no grip on reality.”
Mrs May said that it was in fact Mr Corbyn who was divorced from reality, as he believes the “economic model we should be following is Venezuela”.
