Tories Brexit strategy challenged by Labour's u-turn on single market
Prime Minister Teresa May is under pressure from her own party after the Labour party changed its mind and announced it would be campaigning for the UK to remain within the EU single market.
The change of heart from Jeremy Corbyn and the labour party could see pro-EU members of the Conservative party force May towards a softer Brexit as debates over legislation on Britain's departure from the EU are set to commence in September.
"Everything has now shifted to the arguments we have been making for some considerable time," said Anna Soubry, former Conservative business minister.
Jeremy Corbyn's party itself has received considerable backlash as the U-turn in policy would see Britain to Brussels for as much as four years after its departure in March 2019, leading to fears that essential votes in swing seats across the Midlands and north could be lost as a result.
Sir Keir Starmer, Labour party member for Holborn and St Pancras, wrote in the Observer on Saturday that the time for "constructive ambiguity" was over, before saying "Labour would seek a transitional deal that maintains the same basic terms that we currently enjoy with the EU."
Labour said that payments towards the European Union budget, jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and freedom of movement for citizens would all be accepted during the transition in hopes of smoothing out the process.
Downing Street said the policy shift proved that Labour still had no idea what it wanted from Brexit and that it was "a weak attempt to kick a can down the road."