LONDON (AP) — Britain's Brexit secretary says the government is not offering a "blank check" to the opposition after Prime Minister Theresa May offered to meet with the Labour Party leader in hopes of ending the impasse over the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.

Steve Barclay told the BBC on Wednesday that some Labour proposals, such as a customs union with the EU, would be "very difficult" for the government to accept but both sides need to sit down and work out an agreement to avoid a damaging no-deal Brexit.

Barclay said: "We're not setting pre-conditions, but nor is it a blank check."

But he added that the "remorseless logic" of Parliament's failure to back the prime minister's withdrawal agreement with the EU is that Britain must move toward a softer form of Brexit.