Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson hold private meeting to discuss Brexit

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn at the Queen's Speech. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant

The leader of the opposition and the prime minister have met to discuss a new Brexit bill timetable.

The meeting was arranged after a vote in the House of Commons saw the programme motion for Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill defeated by MPs.

Following the meeting, a Labour party spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn reiterated Labour’s offer to the prime minister to agree a reasonable timetable to debate, scrutinise and amend the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, and restated that Labour will support a general election when the threat of a no-deal crashout is off the table.”

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg tweeted that “nothing was agreed” at the meeting.

She reported “Labour wanted to discuss a different timetable for Brexit bill” while the government wanted to know what Labour would do “if the extension is vetoed”.

Jo Swinson said that Jeremy Corbyn was offering Boris Johnson a “lifeline” on Brexit where he should be doing what he can to oppose it.

She said: “This is yet more clear proof that Jeremy Corbyn wants to deliver Brexit. Yesterday Boris Johnson’s deal passed because 19 Labour MPs walked through the lobby to vote for a Brexit deal that would be bad for our NHS, bad for our economy and bad for our environment.

“It seems that Jeremy Corbyn has thrown Boris Johnson another lifeline this morning, as six white men met to discuss pushing through a Brexit deal which will wreck our country.

“Jeremy Corbyn is a Brexiteer, and Remainers won’t forget if a shady backroom deal between Johnson and Corbyn helps to deliver Brexit.”

It follows reports in The Sun that the opposition leader is said to have told Labour MPs they “cannot afford to turn down another election request”.