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Brexit: Rees-Mogg calls for vote of no confidence in May as ministers resign – Politics live
Brexit: Rees-Mogg calls for vote of no confidence in May as ministers resign – Politics live
(35 minutes later)
Andrea Leadsom, the Brexiter leader of the Commons, has just told MPs that she will not be resigning over Theresa May’s deal.
This is from the BBC’s Norman Smith.
Tory minister tells me if Brexiteers vote down Deal -he and others will openly campaign for a second referendum and to stay in EU.
The Conservative MP Henry Smith has submitted his letter to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, requesting a vote of no confidence in Theresa May. And he has tweeted a picture of his letter, which is a lot shorter than Jacob Rees-Mogg’s. (See 1.32pm.)
My letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/Bind9T7ogO
Speaking to Sky News, Dominic Raab said it was a “terrible deal” and urged May to change course. He said:
I felt the proposed deal with the EU suffered two fatal flaws. The first one is the rather predatory terms being proposed by the EU, which I feel would threaten the integrity of the United Kingdom.
Secondly, in relation to the so-called backstop, basically what that would do is indefinitely if not permanently lock us in to a regime which I believe would be damaging to the economy but devastating to public trust in our democracy.
Raab said he did not blame May for taking over the process, describing it as ”always a team effort”.
Andrea Leadsom, the Brexiter leader of the Commons, has just told MPs she will not be resigning over Theresa May’s deal.
On Sky News Rory Stewart, the justice minister, is now defending Theresa May’s Brexit plan. Hopefully he will make a better job of if than he did when he was on Radio 5 Live earlier, and went full Donald Trump, making up a statistic in a bid to prove that the deal is popular.
On Sky News Rory Stewart, the justice minister, is now defending Theresa May’s Brexit plan. Hopefully he will make a better job of if than he did when he was on Radio 5 Live earlier, and went full Donald Trump, making up a statistic in a bid to prove that the deal is popular.
“80% of the British public support this deal….“I’m producing a number to try to illustrate what I believe…“I totally apologise for that and I take that back”Bizarre moment as Govt minister @RoryStewartUK invents #Brexit stat in interview with @EmmaBarnett. pic.twitter.com/QtZvts7mdM
“80% of the British public support this deal….“I’m producing a number to try to illustrate what I believe…“I totally apologise for that and I take that back”Bizarre moment as Govt minister @RoryStewartUK invents #Brexit stat in interview with @EmmaBarnett. pic.twitter.com/QtZvts7mdM
Labour claims this is a breach of the ministerial code.
Labour claims this is a breach of the ministerial code.
This is extraordinary. This is a clear breach of the ministerial code including his responsibility to uphold the Nolan principle of Honesty. Specifically he’s broken the code on the use of statistics. https://t.co/53sx9lTgDE
This is extraordinary. This is a clear breach of the ministerial code including his responsibility to uphold the Nolan principle of Honesty. Specifically he’s broken the code on the use of statistics. https://t.co/53sx9lTgDE
The Rees-Mogg press conference is over.
The Rees-Mogg press conference is over.
This press conference is a bit awkward because the hundreds of journalists and passers-by can only hear shouty Stop Brexit man and his loudhailer. pic.twitter.com/OX7L4LoktD
This press conference is a bit awkward because the hundreds of journalists and passers-by can only hear shouty Stop Brexit man and his loudhailer. pic.twitter.com/OX7L4LoktD
Rees-Mogg says a leadership contest could happen quickly, in weeks rather than months. He says CCHQ now has a central list of members, which should speed things up.
Rees-Mogg says a leadership contest could happen quickly, in weeks rather than months. He says CCHQ now has a central list of members, which should speed things up.
Rees-Mogg says we are a democracy. “That’s why these splendid people can shout away,” he says.
Rees-Mogg says we are a democracy. “That’s why these splendid people can shout away,” he says.
Rees-Mogg says, if 48 letters do not go in, that will not be good for him. It is not much good if you lead and no one follows, he says.
Rees-Mogg says, if 48 letters do not go in, that will not be good for him. It is not much good if you lead and no one follows, he says.
He predicts that 48 letters will go in – but not necessarily today.
He predicts that 48 letters will go in – but not necessarily today.
Rees-Mogg says the government should go back to Brussels and tell them that the UK will leave without a deal, and trade on WTO terms.
Rees-Mogg says the government should go back to Brussels and tell them that the UK will leave without a deal, and trade on WTO terms.
It would be sensible to make “a generous offer” to the EU, including on the rights of EU nationals and money in return for a transition deal.
It would be sensible to make “a generous offer” to the EU, including on the rights of EU nationals and money in return for a transition deal.
Rees-Mogg says the Brexit negotiations were being run by Downing Street, not by Dominic Raab.
Rees-Mogg says the Brexit negotiations were being run by Downing Street, not by Dominic Raab.
The UK did not ask the right things, he says.
The UK did not ask the right things, he says.
Rees-Mogg says all the negative predictions about Brexit have not come to pass.
Rees-Mogg says all the negative predictions about Brexit have not come to pass.
It is hard to hear Rees-Mogg because a protester is shouting in the background.
It is hard to hear Rees-Mogg because a protester is shouting in the background.
He says there are “streams of talent” in the Conservative party, and plenty of people who could be leader. He names a series of Brexiters, including Boris Johnson and David Davis.
He says there are “streams of talent” in the Conservative party, and plenty of people who could be leader. He names a series of Brexiters, including Boris Johnson and David Davis.
Rees-Mogg goes on: “This is nothing to do with personal ambition.”
But he does say it is about ambition for fulfilling Brexit.
Q: Are you offering yourself as leader?
No, says Rees-Mogg.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the ERG chair, is speaking to reporters at St Stephen’s entrance outside the Houses of Parliament now.
He says he is using the proper procedures of the party to get rid of Theresa May.
Q: Is this a coup?
No, says Rees-Mogg. A coup is when you use improper procedures.
He criticises the Brexit plan, using the arguments set out in his letter (see 1.32pm), and saying the deal contradicts what was promised in the Tory election manifesto.
According to the Evening Standard, edited by the former Tory chancellor George Osborne, Michael Gove has turned down an offer to replace Dominic Raab as Brexit secretary.
Our second edition @EveningStandard as May leadership challenge looms pic.twitter.com/CaGu4YFh3E
Jaocb Rees-Mogg, the chair of the ERG, has released the text of of the letter he has sent to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, calling for a no confidence vote in Theresa May. Here it is in full.
He reveals that a few weeks ago he told the chief whip, Julian Smith, that he thought Theresa May should step down.
(He also wins a bonus point for use of the word “contradistinction”.)
A few weeks ago, in a conversation with the chief whip I expressed my concern that the prime minister, Mrs. Theresa May, was losing the confidence of Conservative members of parliament and that it would be in the interest of the party and the country if she were to stand aside. I have wanted to avoid the disagreeable nature of a formal vote of no confidence with all the ill will that this risks engendering.
Regrettably, the draft withdrawal agreement presented to parliament today has turned out to be worse than anticipated and fails to meet the promises given to the nation by the prime minister, either on her own account or on behalf of us all in the Conservative party manifesto.
That the Conservative and Unionist party is proposing a protocol which would create a different regulatory environment for an integral part of our country stands in contradistinction to our long-held principles. It is in opposition to the prime minister’s clear statements that this was something that no prime minister would ever do and raises questions in relation to Scotland that are open to exploitation by the Scottish National Party.
The 2017 election manifesto said that the United Kingdom would leave the customs union. It did not qualify this statement by saying that we could stay in it via a backstop while annex 2, Article 3 explicitly says that we would have no authority to set our own tariffs. It is also harder to leave this backstop than it is to leave the EU, there is no provision equivalent to article 50 of the Lisbon treaty.
The prime minister also promised an implementation period which was the reason for paying £39bn. As was made clear by a House of Lords report in March 2017 there is no legal obligation to pay anything. This has now become an extended period of negotiation which is a different matter.
The situation as regards the European court of justice appears to have wandered from the clear statement that we are taking back control of our laws. Article 174 makes this clear as does article 89 in conjunction with article 4.
It is of considerable importance that politicians stick to their commitments or do not make such commitments in the first place. Regrettably, this is not the situation, therefore, in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures of the Conservative party and the 1922 committee this is a formal letter of no confidence in the leader of the party, the Rt. Hon. Theresa May.
I am copying this letter to the prime minister and the chief whip and although I understand that it is possible for the correspondence to remain confidential I shall be making it public.
These are from Sky’s Kate McCann.
Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, has just been in to see the chief whip...
I understand Brady DID NOT confirm number of letters with the chief whip, so that sounds like a meeting to prepare the ground. Source with knowledge of the meeting said they don’t believe he’s hit the magic 48 ... yet.
In the Commons Labour’s Catherine West asked May why Julian Smith, the chief whip, would be meeting Sir Graham Brady. John Bercow, the speaker, said the question was not relevant to the subject of the statement, and May did not have to reply.
May has now finished – after three hours.
Outside the room where the ERG has been meeting, parliament’s committee room 10 (see 1.11pm), Alistair Burt, the pro-European Foreign Office minister, expressed fury at the scenes inside. “We are working our socks off and they are doing everything they can to detonate it,” he said.
Another Eurosceptic former minister leaving the meeting said there was considerable difference of opinion in the room. “If this coup d’etat succeeds, what happens then? The best way to defeat this deal is to defeat it in parliament, in my view.”
The European Research Group (ERG) has been meeting. Not all its members agree with Jacob Rees-Mogg (see 1.07pm) about a no-confidence vote in Theresa May being a good idea.
These are from ITV’s Joe Pike and Business Insider’s Adam Bienkov.
Leaving ERG meeting, Lincolnshire MP Sir Edward Leigh says there is a ‘difference of opinion’ within the pro-Brexit group on whether to challenge PM for leadership.#Brexit @itvcalendar
Sir Edward Leigh leaves ERG meeting, saying he doesn’t support push for no confidence in May: “There is a genuine difference of opinion. Because if it fails then you just strengthen her [Brexit] position.” https://t.co/Q6efP8l8rB
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chair of the European Research Group, which represents about 50 Tories pushing for a harder Brexit, is submitting a letter to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, requesting a no confidence vote in Theresa May, my colleague Heather Stewart reports.
Jacob Rees-Mogg is penning his letter of no confidence in Theresa May (on vellum, we hope): so it's now or never for the ERG - do they have the numbers?
Rees-Mogg is due to speak to reporters shortly.
Dominic Raab, who resigned this morning, has suggested he retains confidence in Theresa May as prime minister, despite rejecting her approach to Brexit. He told the BBC:
I think she needs a Brexit secretary that will pursue the deal that she wants to put to the country with conviction. I don’t feel I can do that in good conscience. But I respect her, I hold her in high esteem, I think she should continue, but I do think we need to change course on Brexit.
Theresa May’s official spokesman said the PM expected still to be in post by the time the UK left the EU – and would fight any leadership challenge. He confirmed May had spoken to Dominic Raab by phone before the former Brexit secretary announced his resignation.
“We’re having to confront some very difficult issues and she doesn’t shy away from that,” he acknowledged.
Obviously given the difficulties of the issues, she respects the integrity of her colleagues and thanks those who have resigned for their service.
At the same time, whatever their criticisms, the PM is absolutely clear that the withdrawal agreement delivers what the people of this country voted for in 2016.
