Brexit talks: Labour 'not dragging our heels', says Rebecca Long-Bailey

Labour has denied dragging its heels in Brexit talks with the government. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire - Credit: PA

A deadlock on Brexit talks between Labour and the Conservatives is not being caused by opposition leaders dragging their feet, the party’s shadow business secretary has said.

The government has been locked into weeks of talks with Jeremy Corbyn’s party on what Britain’s future relationship with the European Union should be.

Prime minister Theresa May has called the talks with the opposition ‘difficult’ but has said that ‘progress needs to be made urgently’.

But shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said: ‘We’re certainly not dragging our heels by any stretch of anyone’s imagination.’

Instead, she said the talks had been ‘productive’ and that there was a ‘willingness on both sides to move towards consensus’.

However she said she wanted to see the government move on its ‘red lines’ – but in an interview on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, seemed unclear on whether a second referendum was one of Labour’s own dealbreaers.

Asked to be as clear as possible whether Labour was demanding another vote as part of any future deal, Long-Bailey said: ‘We’re not being hugely prescriptive on certain details,’ adding: ‘We’re willing to be flexible.’