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Theresa May vows to see Brexit plan through on day of turmoil Theresa May vows to see Brexit plan through on day of turmoil
(about 3 hours later)
Theresa May has vowed to stay in post to see through her Brexit plans after they were plunged into turmoil following the resignation of two cabinet ministers and threats of a no-confidence vote. Theresa May pleaded with her party not to plunge Britain into “deep and grave uncertainty” by rejecting her Brexit deal, as she fought to shore up her authority after a bruising day of resignations and backbench mutiny.
The prime minister insisted that she was acting in the national interest, rather than in personal or partisan ones, warning that Britain faced a “path of deep and grave uncertainty” unless she was allowed to proceed. At a sombre press conference following a dramatic day of turmoil, the prime minister said she believed “with every fibre of my being” that the 585-page agreement unveiled on Wednesday night was “the right one for our country and all our people”.
“Leadership is about taking the right decisions not the easy ones,” she said. “As prime minister, my job is to bring back a deal that delivers on the vote of the British people … Am I going to see this through? Yes.” “If we do not move forward with that agreement, nobody can know for sure the consequences that will follow. It would be to take a path of deep and grave uncertainty when the British people just want us to get on with it,” she said.
At a Downing Street press conference, May, a cricket fan, was asked at what stage she would resign as captain of the team. She replied: “You might recall that one of my cricketing heroes was always Geoffrey Boycott, and what do you know about Geoffrey Boycott? He stuck to it and he got the runs in the end.” Her defiant Downing Street statement came after an extraordinary 24 hours in Westminster, which included the resignations of two Brexit-leaning cabinet ministers – Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary, and Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary – and a string of other junior appointees.
May was still reeling from the string of resignations and the threat of an attempted coup as Brexiter MPs submitted letters of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 Committee. The future of several other cabinet ministers remains in doubt. Environment secretary Michael Gove was understood to have been offered the role of Brexit secretary vacated by Raab. But Gove sought to insist on a change of Brexit strategy, which May’s robust statement gave little indication she could accept.
Her Brexit deal, revealed on Wednesday after a tense cabinet meeting, triggered the resignations of the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, the work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, and a handful of junior ministers and government aides. It was unclear on Thursday night whether he could remain in his post having apparently questioned such a central plank of the prime minister’s policy.
The prime minister was asked whether she was in denial over the fact that her Brexit deal was likely to struggle to make it through the House of Commons, with MPs from both wings of her party promising to vote it down. Gove’s fellow Brexiters Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary who was thought to have been trying to persuade May to give MPs a free vote on the deal, were also believed to be considering their positions.
She replied: “Their job will be to look at that deal and consider the interests of constituents … MPs from across my party will look at that deal and recognise the importance of delivering on the vote of British people.” The threat of a challenge to the prime minister’s leadership also appears increasingly serious, after the influential backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg publicly withdrew his support.
May acknowledged that striking the agreement had involved “difficult and sometimes uncomfortable decisions”, and that some were unhappy with the compromises that had been struck. Pressed about whether she believed her authority had been dented by the string of resignations and the hostile reaction to the deal from many in her own party, May insisted “leadership is about taking the right decisions not the easy ones”.
But she added: “We can only secure it if we unite behind the agreement reached in cabinet yesterday. If we do not move forward with that agreement, nobody can know for sure the consequences that will follow. “As prime minister, my job is to bring back a deal that delivers on the vote of the British people … Am I going to see this through? Yes.”
“It will be to take a path of deep and grave uncertainty when the British people just want us to get on with it. They are looking to the Conservative party to deliver.” Raab had told chief whip Julian Smith of his decision to quit on Wednesday night after the fraught five-hour cabinet meeting that saw ministers grudgingly accept May’s deal. He held his post for just four months, after the resignation of David Davis.
She said she understood that some MPs felt “uncomfortable” about the backstop issue but stressed there was no deal that could be passed with the EU without one. And she highlighted that none of her critics had produced any alternative proposals that both delivered on referendum promises and kept the Irish border open. Speaking on Thursday, he said he believed it was a “terrible deal” and urged May to change course.
May began her press conference by saying that serving as prime minister was an honour and a privilege but “also a heavy responsibility”, adding: “That is true at any time but especially when the stakes are so high.” “I felt the proposed deal with the EU suffered two fatal flaws,” he told Sky News. “The first one is the rather predatory terms being proposed by the EU, which I feel would threaten the integrity of the United Kingdom.
She insisted that she was working in the national interest and not the Tory party’s or her own, but said that she did not “judge harshly” those ministers who had left government but that she believed “with every fibre” of her being that she was delivering the best deal available. “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.”
The environment secretary, Michael Gove, is understood to be considering an offer to become the next Brexit secretary but to have said that he would only accept if he could renegotiate the terms of the prime minister’s withdrawal plans. Rees-Mogg, who chairs the European Research Group of pro-Brexit MPs, submitted his letter to the chair of the powerful 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, expressing no confidence in the prime minister’s leadership.
Brexiters Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, who was thought to have been trying to persuade May to give MPs a free vote on the deal, were also believed to be considering their positions.
There was pressure from MPs too as leading Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg called for a vote of no confidence, while up to a dozen of his allies revealed they had submitted letters to Brady, who needs 48 to trigger a vote.
Forty-eight Conservative MPs would need to back a no-confidence vote in Theresa May to trigger a leadership contest, according to party rules.Forty-eight Conservative MPs would need to back a no-confidence vote in Theresa May to trigger a leadership contest, according to party rules.
There are two ways a contest can be triggered, most obviously if the leader of the party resigns. If they do not, 15% of Conservative MPs must write to the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories. With the party’s current crop of 317 MPs, 48 would be needed.There are two ways a contest can be triggered, most obviously if the leader of the party resigns. If they do not, 15% of Conservative MPs must write to the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories. With the party’s current crop of 317 MPs, 48 would be needed.
After David Cameron announced his resignation, five Tory MPs stood for the leadership. Unlike Labour party rules, under which candidates go to a ballot of members as long as they have the support of 15% of the party’s MPs, Conservative candidates are whittled down to a final two before party members have their say.After David Cameron announced his resignation, five Tory MPs stood for the leadership. Unlike Labour party rules, under which candidates go to a ballot of members as long as they have the support of 15% of the party’s MPs, Conservative candidates are whittled down to a final two before party members have their say.
The ballot is based on “one member, one vote”, but in 2016 one of the final two candidates, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the race after a damaging interview with the Times about the fact that May did not have children. Her withdrawal meant May was made party leader without having been elected by members.The ballot is based on “one member, one vote”, but in 2016 one of the final two candidates, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the race after a damaging interview with the Times about the fact that May did not have children. Her withdrawal meant May was made party leader without having been elected by members.
During testy exchanges in the House of Commons earlier, May insisted she had clinched the best Brexit deal possible, but conceded that “difficult choices” had been made and that she “shared concerns” that the UK could be locked into the backstop arrangement. If Brady receives 48 such letters, he must announce a vote of no confidence, which could be held within days. More than a dozen others said they had submitted letters by the end of Thursday – though there was no indication the target of 48 had been reached.
In a plea to MPs to back her, she said that delivering the deal was “in the national interest” and that any move by MPs to block it would take negotiators “back to square one, more uncertainty, more division”. At a hastily-convened press conference, Rees-Mogg predicted that a leadership contest could take place within weeks, and named a series of possible successors to May including Boris Johnson, Raab and McVey.
He was speaking outside parliament just as May finished a three-hour grilling inside on her Brexit deal, which saw a string of hostile interventions from Tory MPs.
During testy exchanges, May insisted she had clinched the best Brexit deal possible, but conceded that “difficult choices” had been made and that she “shared concerns” that the UK could be locked into the backstop arrangement aimed at avoiding a hard border in Ireland.
One backbencher, Mark Francois, told her the deal was, “dead on arrival”.
Jeremy Corbyn ridiculed her insistence that she would press ahead with the negotiations: “When even the last Brexit secretary, who, theoretically at least, negotiated the deal, says that ‘I cannot support the proposed deal’, what faith does that give anyone else in this place or in this country? The government simply cannot put to parliament this half-baked deal that both the Brexit Secretary and his predecessor have rejected.”
As well as Raab and McVey’s departures, two more junior ministers – Suella Braverman and Shailesh Vara – also quit, along with two parliamentary aides.
Some senior Tories were infuriated at the wrecking tactics of Rees-Mogg and his colleagues, and May received staunch support from Nicky Morgan – whom May sacked as education secretary when she arrived in Downing Street – and Amber Rudd.
Alistair Burt, a the Middle East minister, said: “I think we’re all a bit tired of this. Out there are real jobs, real lives and real people who would be sabotaged by a no deal favoured by Jacob. Enough.”
Pragmatic Conservative leader trying to govern in the national interest gets knifed by Tory Brexiteers - so familiar - exactly when does this end & we actually get on with governing for the whole country
In her press conference, May made clear she remains determined to bring her deal to parliament, once the final details are hammered out with the EU27, and give MPs the chance to vote on it.
“Their job will be to look at that deal and consider the interests of constituents … MPs from across my party will look at that deal and recognise the importance of delivering on the vote of British people,” she said.
However, with Labour and the DUP pledged to vote against the deal, and a series of Tory rebels insisting they cannot back it, winning the “meaningful vote”, which is expected to take place in early December, looks like a daunting task.
The DUP’s Westminster leader, Nigel Dodds, said he could take May through a list of promises she made about the future of Northern Ireland but that would be a “waste of time because she clearly doesn’t listen”.
He told MPs: “The choice is now clear, we stand up for the United Kingdom, the whole of the United Kingdom, the integrity of the United Kingdom or we vote for a vassal state with the breakup of the UK.”
May began her press conference by saying that serving as prime minister was an honour and a privilege but “also a heavy responsibility”, adding: “That is true at any time but especially when the stakes are so high.”
She insisted that she was working in the national interest and not the Tory party’s or her own, but said that she did not “judge harshly” those ministers who had left government.
May is under pressure to appoint a new Brexit secretary, with final negotiations on the political declaration on Britain’s future trading relationship with the EU due to take place in the coming days.
Earlier in the day, Donald Tusk, the European council president, had said he would call a 25 November Brexit summit to allow leaders to sign off on the deal, unless “something extraordinary happens”.
When, later in the day, Tusk was asked about the resignations in London, he told reporters: “It is not for me to comment on the latest developments in London... the EU is prepared for a final deal with the United Kingdom. We are also prepared for a no deal scenario – but of course we are best prepared for a no Brexit scenario.”
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