JohnToo wrote: ↑5 years ago
Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Talking without any shift from May just plays into her agenda, which is even more nakedly about party/factional advantage (hers).
"Throughout my career I have advocated talking to one's opponents, without preconditions, and in good faith. This morning, at long last, Mrs May invited me to discuss Brexit with her. It would have been good to have that phone call two years ago, or on the morning after the General Election at which she lost her majority - but as I said at the Party conference last September I was delighted to receive the invitation to talk, in order to resolve the country's political crisis on a cross-party basis.
Sadly, it quickly became clear that she was not open to a discussion in good faith. Her "red lines" are still in place - and it is those red lines which led to the catastrophic defeat of her Brexit plan earlier in the week. Without an open and constructive attitude on all sides a discussion cannot continue. It was that brave, open and constructive approach which ultimately led to the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland - peace which is currently at risk because of the intransigence of some members of her party and her coalition party. I am sure that Mrs May does not share the desire of those individuals to allow conflict to return to the streets of Belfast.
I have since talked to the leaders in parliament of the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP and Plaid Cymru. All of us have been to see Mrs May, and all of us have received the same sorry message. I have also talked to my comrades in Labour, the chairs of the Brexit and Home Affairs committees - both of them received the exact same message in their dialogue with members of the government.
We in Labour stand ready to lead the country, with the support of members of parliament of all political parties, to a settlement with the EU that works for all Britons. We invite Mrs May to join us."
It's not very Milne, but it's almost Corbyn, and it's pretty Starmer. On the front foot, offering leadership where there's currently none.