Labour's Brexit Secretary blasts Government for 'WASTING TIME' over transition agreement
Mr Starmer, the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras, reportedly complained about how long Brexit Secretary David Davis took to agree with his European counterpart on the terms for a transition deal. He said “this agreement could have been signed months ago” but “ministers wasted time fighting among themselves”, according to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg. Twitter users were quick to react to Mr Starmer’s comments. Shane Morgan said: “Kier Starmer and Labour could have come up with policies months ago. Fence sitting must be catching.”
GETTY Keir Starmer accused the Government's minister of 'wasting time fighting themselves'
Keir Starmer - ‘this agreement could have been signed months ago’ - ‘ministers wasted time fighting among themselves’ — Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) March 19, 2018
Ministers wasted time fighting among themselves Labour's Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer
Another user branded Mr Starmer’s comment “rubbish” and added: “It was the remain MPs on all parties holding it back." Mr Starmer’s criticism comes as Brexit negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis announced they'd made a “decisive step” towards agreeing a joint legal text which will set out the rules for a “orderly withdrawal” of the UK from the bloc. Before being signed off, the agreement will be taken to the next European Council of EU leaders summit taking place on Thursday for approval. Speaking alongside Mr Davis at a Brussels press conference, Mr Barnier said that there were still issues the two parties have to discuss including those related to the Irish borders, adding: “We are not at the end of the road and there is a lot of work still to be done.
GETTY Mr Davis said the UK and the EU made a 'decisive step' towards agreeing to a transition deal
Brexit latest: David Davis meets EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier Mon, March 19, 2018 David Davis meets EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels ahead of a crunch meeting of European Union leaders later this week Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 10 British Brexit minister David Davis (L) and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier meet at the European Commission in Brussels