A senior Labour MP in the UK has blamed 'wannabe Tory leaders' for the collapse of cross-party Brexit talks.
It was confirmed yesterday that negotiations between Labour and the Conservatives had broken down without an agreement after six weeks.
Both sides had been working to find a compromise deal, after the House of Commons rejected Theresa May's withdrawal agreement several times.
Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Mrs May to say talks had gone "as far as they can".
The Labour leader highlighted the 'instability' of the government, amid increasing uncertainty over Mrs May's successor as Tory leader.
This morning I wrote to Theresa May to say that talks on finding a compromise agreement for leaving the European Union have gone as far as they can.
The government's growing weakness and instability mean there cannot be confidence in its ability to deliver. pic.twitter.com/QkIvu1DBX4— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 17, 2019
The British prime minister has previously promised to step down if parliament ratifies the Brexit deal.
Amid mounting pressure from her own backbench MPs, she is now set to agree a timetable for her departure after a final effort to get the agreement through the House of Commons next month.
It means a Conservative leadership contest is likely in the near future.
Prominent Brexiteer Boris Johnson became one of the first to say he will join any such contest, with other high-profile figures within the party also expected to run for leader.
'Torpedoing the talks'
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning, Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer says he doesn't blame Theresa May's negotiating team for the breakdown of talks.
He observed: "During the talks, almost literally as we were sitting in the room talking, cabinet members and wannabe Tory leaders were torpedoing the talks with remarks about not being willing to accept the customs union.
"In terms of the team that we were negotiating with, I'm not blaming them.
"Circling around those that were in the room trying to negotiate were others who didn't want the negotiation to succeed because they had their eye on what was coming next."
Mr Starmer further suggested that the parliamentary impasse could be broken if a "confirmatory vote" - a second referendum on any Brexit deal approved by MPs - is included in the next vote on the withdrawal agreement.
The next vote in the House of Commons is expected to take place during the week beginning on June 3rd.
