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Brexit deal: Theresa May to make statement after five-hour cabinet meeting – Politics live
Brexit deal: May wins cabinet support but hints at ministers' reservations – Politics live
(35 minutes later)
Here is the text of the draft withdrawal agreement (pdf). It runs to 585 pages.
Here is the full text of Theresa May’s statement.
The cabinet has just had a long, detailed and impassioned debate on the draft withdrawl agreement and on the outline political declaration on our future relationship with the European Union.
These documents were the result of thousands of hours of hard negotiation by UK officials and many, many meetings which I and other ministers held with our EU counterparts.
I firmly believe that the draft withdrawal agreement was the best that could be negotiated and it was for the cabinet to decide whether to move on in the talks.
The choices before us were difficult, particularly in relation to the Northern Ireland backstop, but the collective decision of cabinet was that the government should agree the draft withdrawal agreement and the outline political declaration.
This is a decisive step which enables us to move on and finalise the deal in the days ahead.
These decisions were not taken lightly but I believe it is a decision that is firmly in the national interest.
When you strip away the detail the choice before us is clear. This deal, which delivers on the vote of the referendum, which brings us back control of our money, laws and borders, ends free movement, protects jobs, security and our union, or leave with no deal, or no Brexit at all.
I know that there will be difficult days ahead. This is a decision which will come under intense scrutiny, and that is entirely as it should be, and entirely understandable.
But the choice was this deal, which enables us to take back control and build a brighter future for our country, or going back to square one, with more division, more uncertainty, and the failure to deliver on the referendum.
It’s my job as prime minister to explain the decisions that the government has taken, and I stand ready to do that, beginning tomorrow with a statement in parliament.
Let me end by just saying this; I believe that what I owe to this country is to take decisions that are in the national interest and I firmly believe, with my head and my heart, that this is a decision that is in the best interests of our entire United Kingdom.
The text of the withdrawal agreement, and the outline political declaration on the future framework, will be published later this evening, we’ve been told.
May says it is her job to explain decisions.
She will do that tomorrow in parliament.
I firmly believe with my head and my heart that this is in the best interests of our entire United Kingdom.
And that’s it.
I will post the words soon.
Theresa May is speaking now.
She says the cabinet had had a “long, detailed and impassioned debate”.
She says the draft withdrawal agreement was “the best that could be negotiated”.
The collective agreement of cabinet was to agree the draft withdrawal agreement and the outline future framework, she says.
May confirms cabinet has agreed draft Brexit withdrawal agreement - but the decision was “not taken lightly”, she says.
From the Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner
I am hearing that the Cabinet has agreed to Theresa May's proposed Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Statement from Prime Minister expected any minute now
From the Times’ Sam Coates.
From the Times’ Sam Coates.
Gavin Barwell apparently seeing junior ministers in 10 minutes
Gavin Barwell apparently seeing junior ministers in 10 minutes
Gavin Barwell is Theresa May’s chief of staff.
Gavin Barwell is Theresa May’s chief of staff.
Theresa May is about to speak outside Number 10.
Theresa May is about to speak outside Number 10.
Statement from the PM 2 mins out pic.twitter.com/IjxcXAU7CM
Statement from the PM 2 mins out pic.twitter.com/IjxcXAU7CM
Cabinet is over, the BBC’s Katy Searle reports.
Cabinet is over, the BBC’s Katy Searle reports.
Cabinet is over. PM statement shortly.
Cabinet is over. PM statement shortly.
From the Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable
From the Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable
If Theresa May is still struggling to get this deal past her own cabinet in No. 10, how will it win support in Parliament or the country? There’s a sensible way out of this mess: go back to the country for a People’s Vote
If Theresa May is still struggling to get this deal past her own cabinet in No. 10, how will it win support in Parliament or the country? There’s a sensible way out of this mess: go back to the country for a People’s Vote
From my colleague Heather Stewart
Jacob Rees-Mogg tells me rumours of letters of no confidence in May, "don't surprise me" - but "the ERG does not have a collective view".
Here is the Spectator’s James Forsyth on the ERG push for a no confidence vote in Theresa May.
Am told argument gaining traction within the ERG is that 48 letters wouldn’t necessarily bring down May but would show that this Brexit deal couldn’t pass the Commons without wholesale Labour support
UPDATE: This is from the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges.
Incredible tweet from @JGForsyth. At this moment in the nation’s history the ERG are seriously considering mounting a leadership challenge to the Prime Minister just to make a point.
The cabinet meeting is winding up, it is being reported.
Am hearing that Cabinet has finally broken up. No details yet on what they have / haven't agreed.
Sounds like statement imminent
Cabinet now winding up - hopefully there are coming out in 20-30 mins (via @RealCoote)
Here is more from the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on the news that Tory Brexiters in the European Research Group (ERG) are starting to push for a no confidence vote in Theresa May.
Understand there has not yet been an official ERG decision to get group to push button on letters going in, but levels of anger so high that some are doing it anyway - this might be the start of crashing into a leadership contest by accident - impossible to tell yet
Reminder: under Conservative party rules, a no confidence vote in the leader is held if 15% of MPs (48 of them) write a letter to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 committee, demanding one. Letters are submitted anonymously, and they can be withdrawn. Brady is the only person who knows how many letters he has in his draw, and although there have been reports claiming that 40-plus letters are already in, Brady has said that some people who claim to have submitted letters don’t tell the truth. If 48 letters do go in, Brady has to notify the party, a confidence vote gets held, and the leader gets to stay if he or she wins a majority. John Major won a vote of this kind in 1995, but Iain Duncan Smith lost one in 2003.
Paul Goodman, editor of the ConservativeHome website, says Kuenssberg’s report is accurate.
Yes. https://t.co/j6jyyDLpX9
UDPATE: In an interview published two days ago Jacob Rees-Mogg, the ERG chair, actually said a leadership contest could happen by accident.
Here are the latest developments.
This afternoon’s cabinet meeting has dragged on into its fifth hour. Starting at 2pm, it was expected to last about three hours but it has now passed the four hour mark and there is no sign of it wrapping up any time soon. Ministers are apparently being allowed to speak at length about the Brexit deal. The delay suggests that ministers have substantial concerns (if they were all happy, they would have been out long ago) and perhaps the Brexiters are trying to insist on fresh red lines as the negotiations conclude. But no one has walked out, and Theresa May’s willingness to let the meeting run this long could be seen as a sign of how she is making an effort to accommodate all views in a bid to hold the cabinet together.
May has cancelled plans to hold a press conference later tonight after the cabinet meeting. Instead, she will just give a statement to broadcasters. This was in response to complaints from MPs about May taking questions from journalists before she takes questions in the chamber tomorrow. But she is not expected to give a press conference tomorrow either. There are now also doubts about whether or not Number 10 will publish the text of the withdrawal agreement tonight, as originally planned. Theoretically, under parliamentary rules, it should not be published before May speaks to MPs tomorrow.
Scottish Conservative MPs have written to May saying they will not support a deal that involves offering guarantees to EU fishermen now about their access to UK waters after the transition period is over. (See 3.15pm.)
Tory Brexiters in the European Research Group have decided to actively push for the removal of May as prime minister, according to reports.
Sounds - from Conor Burns to Sky and ERG sources to me - like the ERG has today switched position and now support letters of No Confidence to Graham BradyPreviously Jacob Rees Mogg was telling colleagues not to try and force change of leader
Senior tory tells me Brexiteer anger so high that seems likely there will be a call for no confidence vote tomorrow - letters going in -
No way of knowing exactly how and if this will happen - but hearing same as @SamCoatesTimes - seems some Brexiteers are switching position from wait and see to moving now
And here are the quotes from the Tory MP Conor Burns.
ERG member Conor Burns tells sky news PM has in moment of “errant genius” managed to unite the country in agreement that this is “the worst of all worlds”
Conor Burns: “I have consistently said we don’t want to change the PM, we want to change the policy of the PM. However there comes a point where if the PM is insistent that she will not change the policy, then the only way to change the policy is to change the personnel”
Of ERG mood: “we are frustrated, we are angry, but we still hope that the PM can be prevailed upon to think again. The arithmetic in the commons is such that the deal as she is proposing it is unlikely to pass in legislation”
Tony Blair, the Labour former prime minister, has described the proposed Brexit deal as a “capitulation” and the worst of both worlds. (See 4.04pm.)
Jeremy Corbyn used prime minister’s questions to lambast the government’s planned Brexit agreement, saying Theresa May’s strategy would give parliament a false choice “between a half-baked deal or no deal”.
And here is the summary of developments during the morning.
Four hours in, the cabinet meeting is still going on, but in Brussels the meeting of EU ambassadors has at last wrapped up. These are from BuzzFeed’s Alberto Nardelli.
EU27 meeting of ambassadors has ended. Diplomats told no word yet from London whether UK ministers have given greenlight to the deal. Diplomats also told that substance of the Northern Ireland backstop is the previously reported three options to pick by July 2020
If there is a deal in the UK this evening the following will happen:- joint Barnier-Raab presser- Barnier will recommend Tusk call a special EUCO- work continues on docs- EU27 ambos meet Fri/Sat- TBD: EU ministers meeting on Monday- Tue: full text on future relationship
Nick Hurd, the policing minister, has just told MPs that Theresa May will not be making a press statement about the Brexit deal tonight. He was speaking in an adjournment debate about police pensions, and addressing the concerns of parliamentarians who have complained about May addressing the press before the House of Commons. (See 12.49pm, 4.13pm and 5.24pm.) Hurd told MPs:
What I am authorised to inform the House is there will be no press statement this evening. There was considerable concern in the house about that happening before the prime minister came to parliament.
I can also confirm to the house that the cabinet meeting is still ongoing, and therefore I’m sure the House will appreciate the prime minister is not in a position to come to the house. I hope that gives some reassurance to members who were concerned about due courtesy and respect being shown to this parliament.
Hurd talked about a press statement, but it turned out he meant press conference. May had been planning to do both. Now we’re told we will get a statement, but not a press conference. This is from the BBC’s Katy Searle.
There will be no press conference tonight but there WILL be a statement after cabinet.
That’s a victory for MPs like Liz Kendall, Ken Clarke and Valerie Vaz, who all complained about this, but I can report that none of them are the toast of the press gallery where journalists think it would have been better if May had been required to answer questions at a press conference. She doesn’t do many press conferences anyway and, if she is giving a statement to MPs tomorrow, she won’t be hosting a Number 10 press conference too.
Here is my colleague Daniel Boffey on how the deal was negotiated.
From the Daily Mirror’s Jason Beattie
Is Chris Grayling in charge of the Cabinet timetable as well? https://t.co/ZOAJJzzGf2
The Westminster leaders of the five opposition parties in the Commons - Jeremy Corbyn (Labour), Ian Blackford (SNP), Vince Cable (Lib Dems), Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru) and Caroline Lucas (the Greens) - have written a joint letter to Theresa May saying that she should come to the Commons tonight to give a statement about her Brexit deal instead of giving a press conference. They say:
We are writing to you as a matter of urgency to demand that you make a statement to the House of Commons on the withdrawal agreement and future framework between the EU and the UK.
Your ministerial code is clear that important statements of policy should be made to the House of Commons first and not to the press.
It is entirely inappropriate for you to brief the press, through a press conference as we understand you plan to do this evening before coming to the House to make a statement and to be questioned by elected members of parliament.
Mr Speaker made clear earlier that he would be willing to facilitate a statement from you at any time today.
In the past, particularly in the Betty Boothroyd era, the speaker used to object strongly when ministers ignored the convention that important government announcements should be made in the Commons chamber first. But in recent years it has become a rule more honoured in the breach than in the observance.
Some of us think that that is quite sensible, and that if MPs get to question ministers about announcements after the details have been reported in the media, they tend to ask better questions, but that is not a fashionable view amongst parliamentarians like the SNP’s Tommy Sheppard.
Shocking shenanigans in Parliament this afternoon - chair resisting multiple attempts to demand prime minister makes a statement - now looking like she will make a statement to the press whilst parliament is actually sitting. So much for caring about the sovereignty of parliament
