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| Conservatives must 'hold nerve' despite Brexit jitters, says Raab | Conservatives must 'hold nerve' despite Brexit jitters, says Raab |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dominic Raab has conceded that Conservative backbenchers have become jittery about the status of the Brexit negotiations but insisted “now is the time to play for the team” amid fresh speculation about Theresa May’s leadership. | Dominic Raab has conceded that Conservative backbenchers have become jittery about the status of the Brexit negotiations but insisted “now is the time to play for the team” amid fresh speculation about Theresa May’s leadership. |
| The Brexit secretary said the Tories needed to “hold [their] nerve” after weekend reports that hostile backbench MPs would try to force a leadership challenge. Forty-eight MPs are needed to force a vote of confidence in the prime minister. | The Brexit secretary said the Tories needed to “hold [their] nerve” after weekend reports that hostile backbench MPs would try to force a leadership challenge. Forty-eight MPs are needed to force a vote of confidence in the prime minister. |
| “We’re at the end stage of the negotiations: I think it’s understandable that there jitters on all sides of this debate. We need to hold our nerve; the end is in sight in terms of a good deal – the prize that we want: a good deal with the EU,” Raab said. | “We’re at the end stage of the negotiations: I think it’s understandable that there jitters on all sides of this debate. We need to hold our nerve; the end is in sight in terms of a good deal – the prize that we want: a good deal with the EU,” Raab said. |
| “Colleagues should wait and see what that looks like. It won’t be a question of a fait accompli. They’ll have their a full say on it; that’s what meaningful vote is all about. We won’t want to bring something back that we aren’t confident is a very good deal for the United Kingdom. And now is the time to play for the team.” | “Colleagues should wait and see what that looks like. It won’t be a question of a fait accompli. They’ll have their a full say on it; that’s what meaningful vote is all about. We won’t want to bring something back that we aren’t confident is a very good deal for the United Kingdom. And now is the time to play for the team.” |
| When asked if May was hanging by a thread, Raab joked that it was “a pretty strong thread” and said there were reports “every week” that nearly 48 Tory MPs had privately written to the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee demanding a vote of confidence in May. | When asked if May was hanging by a thread, Raab joked that it was “a pretty strong thread” and said there were reports “every week” that nearly 48 Tory MPs had privately written to the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee demanding a vote of confidence in May. |
| Raab also appeared to fire his own warning shot at No 10 when he said that, while he was confident of getting a good Brexit deal: “There does come a point where you can be compromised yourselves by the compromises you make.” | Raab also appeared to fire his own warning shot at No 10 when he said that, while he was confident of getting a good Brexit deal: “There does come a point where you can be compromised yourselves by the compromises you make.” |
| The cabinet minister set out the negotiating red lines on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC One on Sunday, saying that when it comes to any backstop agreement: “Northern Ireland can’t be separated from the rest of the UK in customs or regulatory terms and we cannot have a situation were we are stuck indefinite limbo.” | The cabinet minister set out the negotiating red lines on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC One on Sunday, saying that when it comes to any backstop agreement: “Northern Ireland can’t be separated from the rest of the UK in customs or regulatory terms and we cannot have a situation were we are stuck indefinite limbo.” |
| Raab was speaking amid further speculation about May’s leadership. Hard Brexiters were particularly unhappy about suggestions that emerged from the EU summit last week that the UK could sign up to an extension of the post-Brexit transition period, in which the UK would remain in the customs union and single market for a few months into 2021. | Raab was speaking amid further speculation about May’s leadership. Hard Brexiters were particularly unhappy about suggestions that emerged from the EU summit last week that the UK could sign up to an extension of the post-Brexit transition period, in which the UK would remain in the customs union and single market for a few months into 2021. |
| The former Brexit secretary, David Davis, touted by some as a possible successor to May, wrote in the Mail on Sunday that “even the most charitable verdict on last week’s Brexit talks in Brussels can hardly describe them as a success”, because May appeared to endorse extending the transition or implementation period beyond December 2020. | The former Brexit secretary, David Davis, touted by some as a possible successor to May, wrote in the Mail on Sunday that “even the most charitable verdict on last week’s Brexit talks in Brussels can hardly describe them as a success”, because May appeared to endorse extending the transition or implementation period beyond December 2020. |
| Raab said he was “open-minded about the possibility of using a short extension of the IP [implementation period] – let’s say three months” if that helped eliminate the need for a backstop in which Northern Ireland or all of the UK would remain in the customs union if negotiations on a future UK-EU free trade deal were not concluded by the end of 2020. | Raab said he was “open-minded about the possibility of using a short extension of the IP [implementation period] – let’s say three months” if that helped eliminate the need for a backstop in which Northern Ireland or all of the UK would remain in the customs union if negotiations on a future UK-EU free trade deal were not concluded by the end of 2020. |
| “It’s an obvious possible route, as long as it is short and we know how we get out of it. And it has to solve the backstop issue so that falls away as a possibility,” Raab added. | “It’s an obvious possible route, as long as it is short and we know how we get out of it. And it has to solve the backstop issue so that falls away as a possibility,” Raab added. |
| The Brexit secretary told Marr that that he could not say when he would be returning to Brussels to meet with the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, which would be interpreted as a sign that a final Brexit deal is close. | |
| Officials from both sides will continue the talks this week in the hope of a breakthrough after last week’s summit, in which EU leaders agreed they would try to find a way through to striking a deal with May. | |
| Writing in the Sunday Times, Johnny Mercer, a backbench MP, said he “cannot continue to support an administration that cannot function” on issues that affect people’s lives such as Brexit, the Windrush immigration crisis and the Grenfell Tower fire. | Writing in the Sunday Times, Johnny Mercer, a backbench MP, said he “cannot continue to support an administration that cannot function” on issues that affect people’s lives such as Brexit, the Windrush immigration crisis and the Grenfell Tower fire. |
| On Sunday Mercer clarified his remarks, saying he did “absolutely not” want May to quit and insisting that his piece, which did not mention the prime minister, was intended to argue for “a positive direction” for government policy. Last week Mercer described the government as a “shitshow” that he could not vote for if he wasn’t an MP. | On Sunday Mercer clarified his remarks, saying he did “absolutely not” want May to quit and insisting that his piece, which did not mention the prime minister, was intended to argue for “a positive direction” for government policy. Last week Mercer described the government as a “shitshow” that he could not vote for if he wasn’t an MP. |
| Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, said there was a “real lack of confidence” that Theresa May could bring back “anything by way of a good deal”. Also appearing on Marr, the Labour frontbencher asked whether Conservative divisions were preventing May from achieving any kind of deal. | |
| “We’ve got to the very serious situation where people are saying ‘is this government actually capable of delivering, because it’s so divided?’,” Starmer said. He added that Tory infighting seemed “to have gone to another level”. | |
| There are 315 Conservative MPs. Under party rules May needs to win the support of just over half – 158 – to win the vote of no confidence, although many believe that if more than 100 MPs were to vote against her she may not be able to continue as prime minister. | There are 315 Conservative MPs. Under party rules May needs to win the support of just over half – 158 – to win the vote of no confidence, although many believe that if more than 100 MPs were to vote against her she may not be able to continue as prime minister. |
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