Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit speech - as it happened: Labour leader backs UK membership of a customs union after leaving EU

On Northern Ireland, Corbyn praises Tony Blair for his work on the Good Friday Agreement.

He says: "The devolution of the last Labour government completed the peace process in Northern Ireland, which we must cherish. The Good Friday Agreement was a great achievement and I pay tribute to the work done by Tony Blair, Mo Mowlam and all sides in Northern Ireland to secure that Agreement.

"We must continue to support the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and to ensure we maintain the situation of no hard border in Northern Ireland.

"The previous Labour government also brought powers closer to home in Scotland and Wales establishing the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

"And so, Labour believes that powers over devolved policy areas currently exercised by the EU should go directly to the relevant devolved body after Brexit, so that power is closer to the people."

As Mr Corbyn speaks, a Downing Street spokesman has just been asked a daily briefing for the Prime Minister's view on the idea of negotiating "a new customs agreement" with the EU. 

He said: "The government will not be joining a customs union. We want to have the freedom to sign our own trade deals and reach out to the world."

"In contrast to the Prime Minister who said, “if you believe you’re a citizen of the world, you’re a citizen of nowhere”.

"We believe in fact that we can only fully achieve what we want to as citizens of Britain by also recognising we are “citizens of the world”.

Concluding his speech, the Labour leader says:

"The European Union is not the root of all our problems and leaving it will not solve all our problems.

"Likewise, the EU is not the source of all enlightenment and leaving it does not inevitably spell doom for our country.

"There will be some who will tell you that Brexit is a disaster for this country and some who will tell you that Brexit will create a land of milk and honey.

"The truth is more down to earth and it’s in our hands.

"Brexit is what we make of it together, the priorities and choices we make in the negotiations.

"This Conservative government is damaging our country and their priorities for Brexit risk increasing the damage.

"But I also know, what a Labour government could do for this country and that our priorities for Brexit negotiations are the right ones, to create a country that works for the many not the few."

Corbyn says on the border with Northern Ireland, he says the Good Friday Agreement was a major step forward.

He says we are not advocating a second referendum, rather a vote in Parliament on the final deal Theresa May brings forward.

Responding to Corbyn's speech, the Conservatives have just put this out from the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

He said: “This is a cynical attempt by Labour to try and frustrate the Brexit process and play politics with our country’s future – all the while, betraying millions of Labour voters.

“Labour’s confused policy would be bad for jobs and wages, it would leave us unable to sign up to comprehensive free trade deals, and it doesn’t respect the result of the referendum.

“This is another broken promise by Labour. Only the Conservatives are getting on with delivering what British people voted for, taking back control of our laws, borders and money.”

Chris Leslie MP, a leading supporter of Open Britain, said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s speech is not the end of Labour’s debate on Europe.

“His commitment to the Customs Union is welcome but it is nowhere near enough.

“Staying in the Single Market is absolutely essential if we are to protect manufacturing jobs and investment and to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

“Nor can we pretend that we are going to be able buy our way into this or that European institution as though they were items on a menu. The only sure and certain way to get the benefits of Single Market membership is to be a member of the Single Market and we should not pretend otherwise.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted of Labour's updated Brexit stance: "Crumbling Corbyn betrays Leave voters - and all because he wants to win a commons vote. Cynical and deluded."

He added: "Corbyn's Brexit plan would leave U.K. a colony of the EU - unable to take back control of our borders or our trade policy. White flag from labour before talks even begin."

Labour's David Lammy, who last year called for a second referendum on EU membership, posted: "Agree strongly with @jeremycorbyn: "The EU is not the root of all our problems, and leaving it will not solve all our problems". These problems - and many of the underlying causes of Brexit vote - are the fault of successive governments and absolutely nothing to do with the EU."

But Tory MP Michael Fabricant, a high profile pro-Brexit voice within his party, tweeted of Mr Corbyn's plans: "THIS IS NOT BREXIT."

And Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas wrote: "Freedom of movement does NOT have to end if we leave the EU. Norway has freedom of movement. Wish @jeremycorbyn would stop repeating this myth."

She added: "Labour's position is softening, ever so slightly. But to really stand against a destructive Brexit they should join us in saying we should remain members of the Single Market at the very least, and give people a final say on the deal."

Theresa May will set out the latest developments in her own plans for Brexit on Friday, after a special meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday.The Prime Minister's official spokesman rejected the approach set out by Jeremy Corbyn.

"The Government will not be joining a customs union," the spokesman told reporters in Westminster.

"We want to have the freedom to sign our own trade deals and to reach out into the world."