Brexit: Theresa May should become mediator, says Sir John Major

**Theresa May needs to become a mediator to help break the Brexit deadlock in Parliament, former prime minister John Major has said.**

He wants MPs to be given a vote on all Brexit options, indicating their preference on the way forward.

Mrs May should consider dropping her red lines "in the national interest" and become a facilitator to find out what Parliament wants, he said.

Tory Brexit supporter Suella Braverman dismissed his "Remainer elite" views.

She said: "Thank you Sir John, but no thanks."

**'Open and frank'**

Meanwhile, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has said there are "in reality, just two remaining options" for Brexit - to instruct the government to negotiate a close relationship with the EU, including a customs union, or for there to be a public vote.

He told the Fabian Society conference in London that it "seems inevitable" the government will have to apply for an extension to Article 50.

Labour has responsibility "in this moment of national crisis" to "offer a constructive path forward", said Sir Keir, adding that there are "no easy routes out of this mess".

"It's now time for an open and frank debate about how we break the deadlock," he said.

It comes after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to meet Mrs May for talks to discuss a way forward, unless she takes the possibility of a no-Brexit deal off the table.

Sir Keir also said what Mrs May is doing is "not resilient, but reckless", and that she was "ploughing on without a plan" and "reducing the time for a credible alternative to emerge".

**'Running out of time'**

Sir John said the prime minister had been "handed a poisoned chalice" and that things had been "extremely difficult" for her.

"Her position has been all but impossible," he said, adding that Parliament was "running out of time".

If Mrs May does not drop her red lines "in the national interest", then her options are either for the Cabinet or Parliament to decide or for there to be another referendum "now more facts are known than were known in 2016", Sir John argued.

He said while Cabinet is too split to reach an agreement, there is hope that Parliament could reach a consensus, with Mrs May as a mediator.