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Tory leadership contest: Jeremy Hunt warns against no-deal Brexit 'suicide' Tory leadership contest: Jeremy Hunt warns against no-deal Brexit 'suicide'
(about 3 hours later)
Tory leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has warned that his party will be committing "political suicide" if it tries to push through a no-deal Brexit.Tory leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has warned that his party will be committing "political suicide" if it tries to push through a no-deal Brexit.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the move to no-deal would result in a general election, which could see Labour take power. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the move to no deal would result in a general election, which could see Labour take power.
The foreign secretary is one of 10 people seeking to replace Theresa May.The foreign secretary is one of 10 people seeking to replace Theresa May.
Another contender, Esther McVey, said "political suicide" would be not leaving the EU at the end of October. Another contender, Esther McVey, said "political suicide" would be not leaving the EU on 31 October.
The latest candidate to announce his bid, Kit Malthouse, said: "Those people who say no deal would be a catastrophe and those people who say it would be a walk in the park are both wrong - it is somewhere in the middle." The UK's departure was pushed back to that date after the country missed the previous deadline of 29 March.
The deadline the EU has set for Brexit is 31 October.
The official race to be Conservative Party leader gets under way in early June, after Theresa May stands down - but jostling between candidates has already begun.The official race to be Conservative Party leader gets under way in early June, after Theresa May stands down - but jostling between candidates has already begun.
The winner, expected to be named by late July, will also become prime minister.The winner, expected to be named by late July, will also become prime minister.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hunt said the "only solution" to deliver Brexit was to change the withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated with the EU, which has been voted down by MPs three times. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hunt said he wanted to change the withdrawal agreement that Mrs May negotiated with the EU - despite the bloc repeatedly refusing to re-open talks on the document.
The EU has consistently refused to reopen the negotiations, but the foreign secretary said creating a new UK negotiating team - including members of Northern Ireland's DUP and members of the Tory pro-Brexit European Research Group, as well as Conservative representatives from Scotland and Wales - would "give the EU the confidence that any offer can be delivered through Parliament". He also pledged to create a new UK negotiating team - drawn from all sides of the Tory Party, plus members of Northern Ireland's DUP - to "give the EU the confidence that any offer can be delivered through Parliament".
He claimed the main issue that needed addressing in the withdrawal agreement was the Irish backstop - the policy to prevent a hard border returning between Ireland and Northern Ireland that has proved controversial with a number of Brexiteers. Several leadership contenders, including Boris Johnson, have said they would be prepared to leave on 31 October without a deal with Brussels.
"If you go to [the EU] with the right tone, with a deal that recognises their legitimate concerns over the border of Ireland, if you go with a negotiating team that gives them the confidence you can deliver with a majority in the House of Commons, you have the prospect - I don't say the guarantee - but you have the prospect of getting a deal," he said. But, writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hunt warned that a prime minister advocating that option would risk losing a confidence vote in Parliament - thereby effectively committing to a general election in which the Tories would mostly likely be "annihilated".
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said he had always believed that no deal was better than no Brexit, but warned that a prime minister advocating no deal would risk losing a confidence vote in Parliament - thereby effectively committing to a general election. It would "probably put Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 by Christmas", he added.
In that event, the Tories would mostly likely be "annihilated" and "face extinction" at the ballot box, he added. Tory backbencher and leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Hunt's proposal for a new negotiating team was a "very well intentioned offer", but there may not be time to put together such a group before 31 October.
"Trying to deliver no deal through a general election is not a solution; it is political suicide," he writes, adding it would "probably put Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 by Christmas". Mr Rees-Mogg also said any Tories prepared to vote against their own government for pursuing a no-deal exit must understand they would be "putting Jeremy Corbyn into office".
Tory backbencher and chair of the ERG Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Hunt's proposal for a new negotiation team was a "very well intentioned offer", but "the history of ministries of all the talents has not been hugely successful" and there may not be time to put together such a group before 31 October. The latest candidate to announce his leadership bid, Housing Minister Kit Malthouse, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme he would like to "get some movement on the withdrawal agreement or a new withdrawal agreement" - and if a new PM approached Brussels "with the right tone" and negotiating team, there was "the prospect of getting a deal".
Mr Rees-Mogg, who supports leaving without a deal, also said any Tories who went against the government for pursuing his preferred option would be "excommunicating themselves from the Conservative Party" and be "putting Jeremy Corbyn into office". But he said the EU could refuse to play ball, thereby "effectively choosing no deal on our behalf".
Housing Minister Mr Malthouse - who voted Leave -announced his candidacy in the Sun newspaper. And Mr Malthouse added: "Those people who say no deal would be a catastrophe and those people who say it would be a walk in the park are both wrong - it is somewhere in the middle."
Speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, he said he would like to open up conversations with the EU to "get some movement on the withdrawal agreement or a new withdrawal agreement", so the UK can leave with a deal. Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has also released a video, saying as leader he would focus on "fairness" - from cutting taxes for the lowest paid and lowering the cost of living, to increasing opportunities for young people.
But he said it would be the bloc's choice whether they refuse to do that, thereby "effectively choosing no deal on our behalf". "We live in an age when the actions of competent leaders and good government can and should go a long way to making the world a fairer place," he said.
Mr Malthouse added: "My view is we need to get ourselves in as good a shape as we possibly can by 31 October - either by landing a deal, which is what the vast majority of MPs want in the House, or that we are in a coherent shape for no deal, so if the EU elect to go for that, we are able to go over the line as smoothly as we possibly can, not withstanding the fact it is is going to be bumpy." "And that driving conviction, that things can and will be fairer, should be at the heart of what the future of the Conservative Party is all about."
Settled status Fellow hopeful Michael Gove has pledged to allow up to three million EU nationals in the UK at the time of the referendum an easier path to citizenship after Brexit.
Meanwhile, fellow leadership-hopeful Mr Gove has pledged to allow EU nationals in the UK at the time of the referendum to apply for citizenship free of charge. As part of the plan, he would remove the requirement for them to provide proof of their right to be here - getting rid of the so-called "settled status" scheme.
He has said he wants to give as many as three million people from elsewhere in the EU who live in the UK an easier path to citizenship after Brexit.
As part of the plan, he would remove the requirement of EU citizens to provide proof of their right to be here - getting rid of the so-called "settled status" scheme.
A source close to the environment secretary said: "This is simply the right thing to do - honouring the promise of Vote Leave that EU nationals studying, working and living in the UK were welcome to stay."A source close to the environment secretary said: "This is simply the right thing to do - honouring the promise of Vote Leave that EU nationals studying, working and living in the UK were welcome to stay."
Meanwhile, Tory rival, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, is promising a "listening exercise" on Brexit. Meanwhile, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, is promising a "listening exercise" on Brexit if he wins the leadership race.
And The Sun reports that rival contender Health Secretary Matt Hancock has written to ITV, BBC, Sky and Channel 4 to ask them to broadcast a live debate between those vying for the Tory leadership. And the Sun reports that rival contender Health Secretary Matt Hancock has written to ITV, BBC, Sky and Channel 4 to ask them to broadcast a live debate between those vying for the job.
Who is running for the Tory leadership?Who is running for the Tory leadership?
The declared candidates to replace Mrs May are:The declared candidates to replace Mrs May are: