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| No-deal Brexit would be a betrayal, says Philip Hammond | No-deal Brexit would be a betrayal, says Philip Hammond |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The expected demise of Theresa May’s Brexit plan has sparked open feuding over what comes next, with the chancellor, Philip Hammond, arguing that proponents of a no-deal Brexit are betraying the referendum result. | The expected demise of Theresa May’s Brexit plan has sparked open feuding over what comes next, with the chancellor, Philip Hammond, arguing that proponents of a no-deal Brexit are betraying the referendum result. |
| The cabinet will discuss on Tuesday the final details of what Downing Street calls a “new and improved deal” to be presented to the House of Commons, expected to include reassurances on areas including the Irish backstop, workers’ rights and environmental protections. | The cabinet will discuss on Tuesday the final details of what Downing Street calls a “new and improved deal” to be presented to the House of Commons, expected to include reassurances on areas including the Irish backstop, workers’ rights and environmental protections. |
| In an indication of the turmoil gripping the party, it emerged on Monday night that the former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine has had the whip suspended after saying he would vote Liberal Democrat in Thursday’s European election. | In an indication of the turmoil gripping the party, it emerged on Monday night that the former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine has had the whip suspended after saying he would vote Liberal Democrat in Thursday’s European election. |
| With Conservative MPs near unanimous in saying May will lose the vote on her deal in the week starting 3 June, and Labour not minded to come to her rescue, attention is shifting to what happens when she leaves No 10, as she has promised to do soon afterwards. | With Conservative MPs near unanimous in saying May will lose the vote on her deal in the week starting 3 June, and Labour not minded to come to her rescue, attention is shifting to what happens when she leaves No 10, as she has promised to do soon afterwards. |
| Boris Johnson is the current clear favourite to succeed May but he will face intense opposition, especially if he opts to pursue a no-deal departure should negotiations with the EU on a revised Brexit plan founder. | Boris Johnson is the current clear favourite to succeed May but he will face intense opposition, especially if he opts to pursue a no-deal departure should negotiations with the EU on a revised Brexit plan founder. |
| The environment secretary’s campaign plan was knocked off course by revelations about drug-taking. He has sought to regain his place as the leading ‘Stop Boris’ with a series of policy pledges. | The environment secretary’s campaign plan was knocked off course by revelations about drug-taking. He has sought to regain his place as the leading ‘Stop Boris’ with a series of policy pledges. |
| Gove has privately reassured colleagues over recent months that he understands the devastating consequences of a no-deal Brexit, not least for his own environment department. | Gove has privately reassured colleagues over recent months that he understands the devastating consequences of a no-deal Brexit, not least for his own environment department. |
| He has also stressed his background as a reformer, and promised to boost education funding and tackle social care funding – all pitches that could appeal to Stewartites, potentially enabling Gove to overtake Jeremy Hunt. | He has also stressed his background as a reformer, and promised to boost education funding and tackle social care funding – all pitches that could appeal to Stewartites, potentially enabling Gove to overtake Jeremy Hunt. |
| He received 37 votes in the first round, 41 in the second, and 51 in the third round, placing him third each time. In the fourth round he rose to second place with 61 votes. | |
| Hunt’s team called his showing on Wednesday a 'fantastic result'. It was, in the sense that he avoided being overtaken by Gove, and that he picked up an extra eight votes from Tuesday’s showing of 46. | Hunt’s team called his showing on Wednesday a 'fantastic result'. It was, in the sense that he avoided being overtaken by Gove, and that he picked up an extra eight votes from Tuesday’s showing of 46. |
| But there is no doubt that after three rounds of voting Hunt would have hoped to be the obvious challenger to Johnson, whereas he was only narrowly ahead of Gove, with just three votes in it. | But there is no doubt that after three rounds of voting Hunt would have hoped to be the obvious challenger to Johnson, whereas he was only narrowly ahead of Gove, with just three votes in it. |
| The foreign secretary’s team are conscious that he risks appearing middle-of-the-road, with his rivals dismissing him as 'continuity May', or worse, Theresa in trousers, or 'Tit' for short. | The foreign secretary’s team are conscious that he risks appearing middle-of-the-road, with his rivals dismissing him as 'continuity May', or worse, Theresa in trousers, or 'Tit' for short. |
| He received 43 votes in the first round and 46 votes in the second round. He continued to be in second place in the third round with 54 votes, but Gove overtook him in the fourth round, where Hunt finished third with 59 votes. | |
| Johnson’s progress to Downing Street appeared unstoppable even before last week’s first round of voting among MPs, and most of his colleagues believe it is now all but inevitable that he will be Britain’s next prime minister. | Johnson’s progress to Downing Street appeared unstoppable even before last week’s first round of voting among MPs, and most of his colleagues believe it is now all but inevitable that he will be Britain’s next prime minister. |
| His well-disciplined campaign team will continue with their strategy of subjecting him to minimal media exposure, though once the field is narrowed down to two, the final pair will appear in more than a dozen head-to-head hustings for Tory members. The team’s main aim is simply to keep heads down and avoid Johnson creating headlines for the wrong reasons. | His well-disciplined campaign team will continue with their strategy of subjecting him to minimal media exposure, though once the field is narrowed down to two, the final pair will appear in more than a dozen head-to-head hustings for Tory members. The team’s main aim is simply to keep heads down and avoid Johnson creating headlines for the wrong reasons. |
| Johnson won the first round with 114 votes, and the second round with 126 votes. He won the third round with 143 votes. He increased this to 157 votes in the fourth round. | |
| Hammond is due to castigate proponents of leaving the EU with no deal in his most scathing terms yet when he speaks on Tuesday evening to the annual dinner of the CBI, which also vehemently opposes no deal. | Hammond is due to castigate proponents of leaving the EU with no deal in his most scathing terms yet when he speaks on Tuesday evening to the annual dinner of the CBI, which also vehemently opposes no deal. |
| A no-deal Brexit was being touted by people “on the populist right”, Hammond is due to say, an apparent reference to Nigel Farage’s Brexit party which could also be read as criticism of Tory advocates of the idea. | A no-deal Brexit was being touted by people “on the populist right”, Hammond is due to say, an apparent reference to Nigel Farage’s Brexit party which could also be read as criticism of Tory advocates of the idea. |
| He will add: “Let me remind them: the 2016 leave campaign was clear that we would leave with a deal. So to advocate for no deal is to hijack the result of the referendum and, in doing so, knowingly to inflict damage on our economy and our living standards. | He will add: “Let me remind them: the 2016 leave campaign was clear that we would leave with a deal. So to advocate for no deal is to hijack the result of the referendum and, in doing so, knowingly to inflict damage on our economy and our living standards. |
| “All the preparation in the world [could not avoid the consequences of no deal] so I will continue to fight, in the face of this polarisation, for a negotiated Brexit; an outcome that respects the British people’s decision to leave, while recognising that there is no mandate for a no-deal exit; and that we have an absolute obligation to protect Britain’s jobs, businesses and future prosperity.” | “All the preparation in the world [could not avoid the consequences of no deal] so I will continue to fight, in the face of this polarisation, for a negotiated Brexit; an outcome that respects the British people’s decision to leave, while recognising that there is no mandate for a no-deal exit; and that we have an absolute obligation to protect Britain’s jobs, businesses and future prosperity.” |
| The comments come as any remaining political momentum seemed to ebb away from May’s Brexit plan, to be presented to MPs this time as the withdrawal agreement bill. | The comments come as any remaining political momentum seemed to ebb away from May’s Brexit plan, to be presented to MPs this time as the withdrawal agreement bill. |
| It had been touted by the prime minister as a “new, bold offer” and presented as a different entity to the Brexit plan now rejected by MPs three times. | It had been touted by the prime minister as a “new, bold offer” and presented as a different entity to the Brexit plan now rejected by MPs three times. |
| Although it may seem as though May is making a fourth attempt to pass her deal, the tactic is slightly different. The withdrawal agreement bill – or WAB as it is known in Westminster – was intended to be the second stage after MPs had voted to ratify the agreement, to enshrine it in UK law. | Although it may seem as though May is making a fourth attempt to pass her deal, the tactic is slightly different. The withdrawal agreement bill – or WAB as it is known in Westminster – was intended to be the second stage after MPs had voted to ratify the agreement, to enshrine it in UK law. |
| MPs have failed to pass the first stage. Therefore, the government is now skipping directly to the second stage, and will need to include a clause in the bill removing the need for a separate approval motion. | MPs have failed to pass the first stage. Therefore, the government is now skipping directly to the second stage, and will need to include a clause in the bill removing the need for a separate approval motion. |
| Bringing the withdrawal agreement bill to parliament with no stable majority is fraught with risk. Should the bill fail to pass at second reading, May would not be able to bring it back during this parliament and may be faced with proroguing parliament in order to make any new attempt. | Bringing the withdrawal agreement bill to parliament with no stable majority is fraught with risk. Should the bill fail to pass at second reading, May would not be able to bring it back during this parliament and may be faced with proroguing parliament in order to make any new attempt. |
| Ministers have agreed the UK should leave the EU before the summer parliamentary recess. The bill would need to get through all its different stages before recess, which is why the week of 3 June has been set, coming after the European elections and parliament’s Whitsun recess. “It is imperative we do so then if the UK is to leave the EU before the summer parliamentary recess,” No 10 said. | Ministers have agreed the UK should leave the EU before the summer parliamentary recess. The bill would need to get through all its different stages before recess, which is why the week of 3 June has been set, coming after the European elections and parliament’s Whitsun recess. “It is imperative we do so then if the UK is to leave the EU before the summer parliamentary recess,” No 10 said. |
| Unless there are substantial changes, it looks unlikely. | Unless there are substantial changes, it looks unlikely. |
| Jessica Elgot, Chief political correspondent | Jessica Elgot, Chief political correspondent |
| May’s spokesman said there were as yet no details on what offerings would be in the bill, saying it had yet to be completed. “We have been working on that piece of legislation for a long time, so the vast bulk of the work is completed, but there is still work ongoing,” he said. | May’s spokesman said there were as yet no details on what offerings would be in the bill, saying it had yet to be completed. “We have been working on that piece of legislation for a long time, so the vast bulk of the work is completed, but there is still work ongoing,” he said. |
| However, he said it was likely to include ideas on workers’ rights and environmental measures explored in talks with Labour, and a commitment to alternative arrangements to try to ensure the Irish backstop was not needed. | However, he said it was likely to include ideas on workers’ rights and environmental measures explored in talks with Labour, and a commitment to alternative arrangements to try to ensure the Irish backstop was not needed. |
| The Guardian view on Theresa May’s Brexit options: stark – and getting starker | Editorial | The Guardian view on Theresa May’s Brexit options: stark – and getting starker | Editorial |
| Sent out on Monday morning to sell the plan via a series of media interviews, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, argued that MPs should back the bill in the initial vote and then seek to amend it. | Sent out on Monday morning to sell the plan via a series of media interviews, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, argued that MPs should back the bill in the initial vote and then seek to amend it. |
| “You need to vote for this legislation and then have the debate at the committee stages later on exactly what the details are,” he said. “And no doubt there will be votes on the really big issues like whether to have a people’s vote and whether to have customs union.” | “You need to vote for this legislation and then have the debate at the committee stages later on exactly what the details are,” he said. “And no doubt there will be votes on the really big issues like whether to have a people’s vote and whether to have customs union.” |
| However, this argument appeared to backfire, with the former Brexit secretary David Davis saying it meant he might now not vote for the deal, having backed it in the last two votes. | However, this argument appeared to backfire, with the former Brexit secretary David Davis saying it meant he might now not vote for the deal, having backed it in the last two votes. |
| “This is not a great new offer; it’s a great new concession,” Davis said. “What it will do – and this is the critical thing – is if we pass that act, it opens things up so that the successor to the prime minister, the next prime minister, will have their hands tied.” | “This is not a great new offer; it’s a great new concession,” Davis said. “What it will do – and this is the critical thing – is if we pass that act, it opens things up so that the successor to the prime minister, the next prime minister, will have their hands tied.” |
| In private, Conservative MPs said the bill had almost no chance of passing. “It’s doomed unless all Tory leadership contenders decide to support it so they don’t have to deal with it,” said one influential centrist backbencher. | In private, Conservative MPs said the bill had almost no chance of passing. “It’s doomed unless all Tory leadership contenders decide to support it so they don’t have to deal with it,” said one influential centrist backbencher. |
| Another MP used similar language: “It’s doomed and none of the concessions will persuade enough MPs to vote for it.” | Another MP used similar language: “It’s doomed and none of the concessions will persuade enough MPs to vote for it.” |
| A third MP said that, like Davis, they might not back the plan, having voted for it last time: “I’ll have to wait and see what it says, but there’s a good chance I won’t this time,” they said, adding that they could not risk the idea of a second referendum being added to the bill. They said: “The Brexit party are just killing us in my constituency. If there was an election tomorrow I’d be gone.” | A third MP said that, like Davis, they might not back the plan, having voted for it last time: “I’ll have to wait and see what it says, but there’s a good chance I won’t this time,” they said, adding that they could not risk the idea of a second referendum being added to the bill. They said: “The Brexit party are just killing us in my constituency. If there was an election tomorrow I’d be gone.” |
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