This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/13/top-tories-under-pressure-to-oppose-mays-brexit-deal

The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Top Tories under pressure to oppose May’s Brexit deal Top Tories under pressure to oppose May’s Brexit deal
(about 2 hours later)
Tory leadership candidates from Boris Johnson to Dominic Raab are under pressure from the party’s right to oppose Theresa May’s Brexit deal in any further vote, raising the prospect that she could be defeated by an even bigger margin than previously. Theresa May is under intense pressure to abandon cross-party Brexit talks, after a group of senior Conservative figures, including leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, issued a strongly worded warning against any deal that involved a customs union.
May is considering bringing forward the withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) within the next two weeks, but the mood of Conservative MPs is hardening against it once again. Labour is also minded to vote against it at second reading. May’s cabinet, and Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, are both due to take stock of the talks on Tuesday, with neither side optimistic about the prospects for an agreement that could secure a majority in parliament.
A number of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs are already planning to switch back to rejecting May’s deal – adding to the 28 leavers and six remainers from the party who held out against it last time. Tory MPs said support for May’s deal was “peeling off” as the prime minister’s power was ebbing away and they wanted to show their members and constituents they were serious about a hard Brexit. In a letter to the prime minister, former cabinet ministers including Gavin Williamson, who was sacked earlier this month over the Huawei leak, the former Brexit secretaries David Davis and Raab, and former foreign secretary Johnson, cautioned her against any deal involving Corbyn’s central demand of a customs union.
Neither Johnson nor Raab would confirm on Monday that they would vote for the bill whenever it was brought forward. They told her such a move would be “bad policy and bad politics”, as it would contradict the 2017 Conservative general election manifesto and force the UK to open up its markets automatically to any countries with which the EU strikes trade deals in future.
At the time of the last vote, Raab kept his options open, telling the Commons that his support was for this specific motion only. He said then: “I will vote for the motion. I do so without prejudice to my position on the section 13 meaningful vote, and to achieve two essential outcomes: to stave off a longer extension and to prevent European elections from being held in May.” “We believe that a customs union-based deal with Labour will very likely lose the support of Conservative MPs like us who backed the withdrawal agreement in March (in many cases very reluctantly), and you would be unlikely to gain as many Labour MPs to compensate,” said the letter, obtained by the Times.
“More fundamentally, you would have lost the loyal middle of the Conservative party, split our party and with likely nothing positive to show for it. No leader can bind his or her successor, so the deal would likely be at best temporary, at worst illusory.”
The fragility of May’s leadership, and the threat it presents to any deal being deliverable, has been discussed openly in the cross-party Brexit talks, which resumed on Monday.
Labour is demanding what it calls “entrenchment”, a legal underpinning for any promises made by the prime minister, to prevent a future leader unpicking them.
In signing the letter, Johnson and Raab underlined Labour’s fears, by making clear they would aim to sweep away any deal that involved a customs union.
The presence of 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady’s signature on the letter is also significant, as he is charged with the job of conveying backbenchers’ views to the prime minister.
The committee’s executive is expected to return for a third time this week to the issue of whether Tory leadership rules should be changed to allow a fresh challenge to the prime minister.
May had been keen to table the withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) before the European elections on 23 May, but the mood of Conservative MPs has been hardening against it, even without any customs union concession.
A number of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs were already planning to switch back to rejecting May’s deal – adding to the 28 leavers and six remainers from the party who held out against it last time. Tory MPs said support for May’s deal was “peeling off” as the prime minister’s power was ebbing away and they wanted to show their members and constituents they were serious about a hard Brexit.
Eurosceptic Steve Baker indicated over the weekend that he would stand in the leadership contest if there was no other candidate who clearly opposed the withdrawal agreement, suggesting that Raab and Johnson could be outflanked on the right unless they take a position against it. If Baker does not stand, another of the 28 “Brexit ultras” is likely to put themselves forward.Eurosceptic Steve Baker indicated over the weekend that he would stand in the leadership contest if there was no other candidate who clearly opposed the withdrawal agreement, suggesting that Raab and Johnson could be outflanked on the right unless they take a position against it. If Baker does not stand, another of the 28 “Brexit ultras” is likely to put themselves forward.
Other Tory MPs suggested that May’s agreement was growing more unpopular daily as polls demonstrate the extent of support for Nigel Farage’s Brexit party, which is endorsing a no-deal position.Other Tory MPs suggested that May’s agreement was growing more unpopular daily as polls demonstrate the extent of support for Nigel Farage’s Brexit party, which is endorsing a no-deal position.
Michael Fabricant, a Conservative MP who switched to voting for the deal last time, said: “Without the support of the Democratic Unionist party, I think it highly unlikely that I would wish to vote for the withdrawal agreement if it came back for a fourth time.”
Another Conservative MP said the whips had warned No 10 that “a lot of MPs who supported it the third time round won’t be supporting it again”. Richard Drax, a Conservative MP, has previously issued a mea culpa saying he felt “utterly ashamed” of himself for voting for May’s deal last time.
However, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chair of the pro-Brexit European Research Group and backer of Johnson, told LBC radio on Monday that he could still vote for May’s deal if it ever came back to the Commons, as he would still rather see it pass than risk having Brexit cancelled.
May is still deciding when to bring forward the WAB – the legislation that takes the UK out of the EU – but last week indicated to Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, that she would do so before the European elections.
Such is the concern about support draining away from the deal, that ministers have discussed breaking up the legislation, into what one government source called “bite-sized WABs”, in a bid to ratify less controversial aspects.Such is the concern about support draining away from the deal, that ministers have discussed breaking up the legislation, into what one government source called “bite-sized WABs”, in a bid to ratify less controversial aspects.
The aim would be to demonstrate some progress in delivering Brexit – hopefully before polling day, though ministers are increasingly pessimistic about meeting that deadline. The aim would be to demonstrate some progress in delivering Brexit, hopefully before polling day, though ministers are increasingly pessimistic about meeting that deadline.
Such a move would be likely to be regarded with exasperation by Britain’s EU negotiating partners, who signed off on the withdrawal agreement as a package.Such a move would be likely to be regarded with exasperation by Britain’s EU negotiating partners, who signed off on the withdrawal agreement as a package.
Conservative MPs were braced for the bill to appear on Thursday as they were told it would be a three-line whip, but that prospect receded as it was downgraded to a one-line whip. Cabinet is expected to discuss whether to press ahead with any more Brexit talks with Labour or move to a series of parliamentary votes with a binding outcome – or “definitive votes”.
Talks with Labour continued into Monday evening, with Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, saying this was a “crunch week”. Cabinet is expected to discuss whether to press ahead with any more negotiations or move to a series of parliamentary votes with a binding outcome – being called “definitive votes”. The cross-party negotiations broke up on Monday night with both sides once again signalling that no substantive progress had been made.
Both sides signalled that no substantive progress had been made after the negotiations broke up once again without agreement.
“Today’s meeting took stock across the range of issues discussed in talks over the last few weeks,” said a Downing Street spokesperson. “We continue to seek to agree a way forward in order to secure our orderly withdrawal from the EU.”“Today’s meeting took stock across the range of issues discussed in talks over the last few weeks,” said a Downing Street spokesperson. “We continue to seek to agree a way forward in order to secure our orderly withdrawal from the EU.”
“Talks continued tonight and the Shadow Cabinet and the trades unions will be updated,” a Labour spokesperson said. A Labour spokesperson said: “Talks continued tonight and the shadow cabinet and the trades unions will be updated.”
Labour has become increasingly concerned about the fragility of May’s leadership, and the threat it presents to any deal being deliverable. Like May, Corbyn is constrained by his backbenchers. He came under pressure from MPs at the weekly meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday night over what several claimed was the party’s fuzzy stance on Brexit and lacklustre approach to the European election campaign.
And like May, Jeremy Corbyn is constrained by his backbenchers. He came under pressure from MPs at the weekly meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday night over what several claimed was the party’s unclear stance on Brexit, and lacklustre approach to the European election campaign. Ilford North MP Wes Streeting said: “We’re trying to please everyone and instead are pleasing no one.”
Some in Labour are keen to make a deal but Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, warned in the Guardian on Monday that about 150 Labour MPs would be unlikely to back it without a second referendum, which May has ruled out.Some in Labour are keen to make a deal but Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, warned in the Guardian on Monday that about 150 Labour MPs would be unlikely to back it without a second referendum, which May has ruled out.
Even if no clear Tory-Labour deal is agreed, No 10 has been hoping to reach a pact with Labour that the opposition would allow the bill to be waved through on second reading, with MPs then able to find a consensus for an acceptable form of Brexit through amendments. However, Labour has not so far acquiesced to this plan. Even if no clear Tory-Labour deal is agreed, No 10 has been hoping to reach a pact with Labour that the opposition would allow the bill to be waved through on second reading, with MPs then able to find a consensus for an acceptable form of Brexit through amendments.
One option may be for May to publish the withdrawal agreement bill but not allow its second reading just yet. She would instead move on to the “definitive votes” in the Commons, whereby MPs would express a preference for a form of Brexit they could live with – potentially involving a customs union or a confirmatory vote on any deal.One option may be for May to publish the withdrawal agreement bill but not allow its second reading just yet. She would instead move on to the “definitive votes” in the Commons, whereby MPs would express a preference for a form of Brexit they could live with – potentially involving a customs union or a confirmatory vote on any deal.
However, some Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs scoffed at this prospect, saying it was inconceivable that May would remain in post long enough for this to happen.However, some Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs scoffed at this prospect, saying it was inconceivable that May would remain in post long enough for this to happen.
One member of the 1922 Committee said opinion on the executive was still deeply split on the issue of May’s future but a win for Farage at the European elections was likely to be the pivotal moment at which opinion shifted in favour of allowing MPs a ballot on her leadership.One member of the 1922 Committee said opinion on the executive was still deeply split on the issue of May’s future but a win for Farage at the European elections was likely to be the pivotal moment at which opinion shifted in favour of allowing MPs a ballot on her leadership.
Huw Merriman, a government parliamentary aide to the chancellor, predicted an “absolute mauling” for the party, while Rees-Mogg said the majority of Conservative members he had spoken to were voting for Farage’s party.
BrexitBrexit
Theresa MayTheresa May
ConservativesConservatives
Article 50Article 50
European UnionEuropean Union
EuropeEurope
Foreign policyForeign policy
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content