Theresa May optimistic for end to Brexit impasse after first day of talks with Jeremy Corbyn

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British Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed optimism that a way out of the Brexit impasse can be found after she ended the first day of talks with Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“Today’s talks were constructive, with both sides showing flexibility and a commitment to bring the current Brexit uncertainty to a close,” a Downing Street spokesperson said after a meeting on Wednesday between Ms. May and Mr. Corbyn, who leads the Labour Party. “We have agreed a program of work to ensure we deliver for the British people, protecting jobs and security.” The spokesperson added that the two leaders plan to meet again on Thursday for “a full day of intensive discussions, recognizing the need for urgency.”

Mr. Corbyn was more circumspect after the meeting, calling the talks “useful, but inconclusive.” He added: “There hasn’t been as much change as I expected, but we will have further discussions [Thursday] to explore technical issues.”

Wednesday night, MPs passed by a majority of one a bill that would compel Ms. May to ask the EU for more time for Parliament to reach an agreement in order to avoid any no-deal scenario. The bill introduced by Labour’s Yvette Cooper passed 313-312, but will still need to be approved by the Lords before becoming law.

Ms. May reached out to Mr. Corbyn on Tuesday, aiming to find a resolution to the Brexit deadlock that has seen her withdrawal agreement with the European Union rejected by Parliament three times. If the talks with Mr. Corbyn fail, Ms. May said the government will let members of Parliament vote on various options. Before the Cooper bill passed, Ms. May said that to accommodate the new process, she also plans to seek an extension to the April 12 deadline for Britain to leave the EU.

It’s a risky move that has deepened divisions within her Conservative Party caucus, and on Wednesday two junior cabinet ministers resigned in protest. “I simply cannot support any further extension to [the Brexit deadline] and this obviously means I cannot stay in government,” said Chris Heaton-Harris, a former minister in the Brexit department who was responsible for government preparations in case the country crashes out of the EU without a deal on April 12. Several other Tories lashed out at the Prime Minister’s decision to engage with Mr. Corbyn. "To allow the Labour Party to run Brexit, to decide you’d rather be supported by a Marxist than by your own party, is unwise,” said Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, referring to Mr. Corbyn.

The fear among many Conservatives is that Mr. Corbyn will push for the U.K. to remain within the EU’s customs union. Mr. Corbyn has argued that keeping the country in the customs union would allow for the free movement of goods between the U.K. and the EU and ease concerns about a hard Irish border after Brexit. However, most Tory MPs oppose remaining in the customs union because member states must set the same external tariffs, meaning they cannot strike their own trade deals and rely on the EU for trade policy. Many Tories fear that would keep the country too closely tied to the EU.

Ms. May defended her decision to reach out to Mr. Corbyn, telling MPs on Wednesday that it was the only way out of the Brexit chaos. “The purpose of meeting the Leader of the Opposition [Wednesday] is to look at the areas on which we agree,” she said. “There are actually a number of areas on which we agree in relation to Brexit. … We want to find a way forward that can command the support of this House.”

The EU has to agree to any extension and on Wednesday EU officials made it clear they were not keen on a long delay. "A ‘no-deal’ at midnight on the 12th of April is now a very likely scenario,” Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, told the European Parliament on Wednesday. “If the United Kingdom is in a position to approve the withdrawal agreement with a sustainable majority by 12 April, the European Union should be prepared to accept a delay until 22 May.”

Amid the political wrangling, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney expressed renewed concern about a no-deal Brexit. In an interview with Sky TV, Mr. Carney said the prospect of Britain crashing out is “alarmingly high.” He added that even though the government, MPs and the EU don’t want a no-deal Brexit, “It is the default option and so no-deal would happen, as we sit here today, by accident, it would happen suddenly, there would be no transition – it is an accidental, disorderly Brexit."