Sadiq Khan casts doubt on Labour's Brexit policy as he distances himself from Jeremy Corbyn claims

Casting doubts: Sadiq Khan
Nigel Howard
Pippa Crerar26 January 2017
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Sadiq Khan appeared to cast doubt on Labour’s Brexit policy today as he suggested claims by Jeremy Corbyn that Government plans threatened the rights of workers were unfounded.

The Mayor said he did not believe that Brexit Secretary David Davis had any intention to weaken those rights despite the Labour leader’s concerns.

He said: “I’ve seen no evidence from the conversations I’ve had with senior members of the Government that that’s their aspiration or their intention or something they want to do.”

Labour is ready to set out four amendments to the Government’s Article 50 bill that sets out the two-year framework for Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Workers' rights fears: Jeremy Corbyn 
Sky news

One of these is intended to help avoid Britain becoming a “bargain basement” tax haven off the coast of Europe. The party is expected to add it wants to secure workers’ rights.

However, Mr Davis, who has promised “London’s voice will be heard” in monthly Brexit talks with the Mayor, has met with the TUC and other workers’ rights advocates.

Mr Khan told the London Assembly: “To give credit to the Government, I don’t think they want to weaken workers’ rights.”

However, he added: “I’m hoping that what we have now is a floor, not a ceiling. What none of us want to see is a dilution of workers’ rights or a race to the bottom.

“That’s why there’s been some anxiety with comments about us being, in inverted commas, an offshore tax haven, because the implication is that would lead to a dilution of workers’ rights”.

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