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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/02/amber-rudd-warns-tory-leadership-candidates-no-deal-brexit
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| Amber Rudd warns Tory leadership candidates against backing no-deal Brexit | Amber Rudd warns Tory leadership candidates against backing no-deal Brexit |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The next Conservative leader must immediately extend Britain’s EU membership and draw up a new Brexit deal with Labour MPs, a key powerbroker in the party’s leadership race has demanded. | The next Conservative leader must immediately extend Britain’s EU membership and draw up a new Brexit deal with Labour MPs, a key powerbroker in the party’s leadership race has demanded. |
| In a significant intervention that will be seen as a warning to candidates embracing a no-deal Brexit, Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, who is regarded as the leading pro-European voice in the cabinet, calls on all contenders to concede that Britain will not leave at the end of October and start work on a new deal with Brussels. | In a significant intervention that will be seen as a warning to candidates embracing a no-deal Brexit, Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, who is regarded as the leading pro-European voice in the cabinet, calls on all contenders to concede that Britain will not leave at the end of October and start work on a new deal with Brussels. |
| Writing for the Observer, she warns candidates they will lose should they “enter into another battle with parliament over no deal on 31 October”. She says the new leader will have a “brief opportunity to reset the political agenda” with the EU, which should be used to craft a deal that enough backbench Labour MPs would back. | Writing for the Observer, she warns candidates they will lose should they “enter into another battle with parliament over no deal on 31 October”. She says the new leader will have a “brief opportunity to reset the political agenda” with the EU, which should be used to craft a deal that enough backbench Labour MPs would back. |
| Parliament will find a way to insist we don’t leave without a deal | Parliament will find a way to insist we don’t leave without a deal |
| “We need to start being honest,” she writes. “The starting point is that we are not leaving on 31 October with a deal – parliament will block a no-deal Brexit, and there isn’t time to do a revised deal. | “We need to start being honest,” she writes. “The starting point is that we are not leaving on 31 October with a deal – parliament will block a no-deal Brexit, and there isn’t time to do a revised deal. |
| “Many good Conservative colleagues will raise their hands in despair at my suggestion that we engage with Labour backbenchers but I know there are many who wish to deliver on the result of the referendum.” | “Many good Conservative colleagues will raise their hands in despair at my suggestion that we engage with Labour backbenchers but I know there are many who wish to deliver on the result of the referendum.” |
| 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. | |
| Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Esther McVey are among the candidates who have suggested they could back no deal. Rudd’s remarks come after she met Johnson, the frontrunner, in an attempt to find common ground and persuade him to back away from attempting to leave with no deal at the end of October . | Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Esther McVey are among the candidates who have suggested they could back no deal. Rudd’s remarks come after she met Johnson, the frontrunner, in an attempt to find common ground and persuade him to back away from attempting to leave with no deal at the end of October . |
| The pair parted ways with Johnson still committed to leaving the EU without any further Brexit extension, whether a deal could be agreed or not. It is understood that Rudd could not commit to serving in a top cabinet job should he win and lead Britain out of the EU with no deal. | The pair parted ways with Johnson still committed to leaving the EU without any further Brexit extension, whether a deal could be agreed or not. It is understood that Rudd could not commit to serving in a top cabinet job should he win and lead Britain out of the EU with no deal. |
| Michael Gove, who launched his first campaign video this weekend, is pressing to become the candidate best-placed to avoid no deal. It leaves party moderates wrestling over whether they can bring themselves to back Johnson. While many see him as less ideological than Raab and more capable of winning an election, his embrace of no deal is an insurmountable stumbling block for many. | Michael Gove, who launched his first campaign video this weekend, is pressing to become the candidate best-placed to avoid no deal. It leaves party moderates wrestling over whether they can bring themselves to back Johnson. While many see him as less ideological than Raab and more capable of winning an election, his embrace of no deal is an insurmountable stumbling block for many. |
| “It’s all about making sure he is surrounded by sensible people,” said one MP who has decided to back Johnson. | “It’s all about making sure he is surrounded by sensible people,” said one MP who has decided to back Johnson. |
| This week will see all the candidates appear at a hustings of the One Nation Caucus of moderate Tory MPs. Rudd calls on them to face up to the realities of the “Brexit puzzle”, adding: “It should go without saying that every candidate is patriotic. So being told to just ‘believe in Britain’ is not a substitute for engaging with the situation we find ourselves in.” | This week will see all the candidates appear at a hustings of the One Nation Caucus of moderate Tory MPs. Rudd calls on them to face up to the realities of the “Brexit puzzle”, adding: “It should go without saying that every candidate is patriotic. So being told to just ‘believe in Britain’ is not a substitute for engaging with the situation we find ourselves in.” |
| It comes as moderates fear that the party is veering closer towards a no-deal Brexit under pressure from the success of Nigel Farage’s Brexit party. According to an Opinium poll for the Observer, the Brexit party has surged into first place for the first time in a Westminster poll. Its support increased by two points to 26%, with the Tories third on 17%. | It comes as moderates fear that the party is veering closer towards a no-deal Brexit under pressure from the success of Nigel Farage’s Brexit party. According to an Opinium poll for the Observer, the Brexit party has surged into first place for the first time in a Westminster poll. Its support increased by two points to 26%, with the Tories third on 17%. |
| Such a result would see Farage form the biggest party in parliament, with the Tories losing hundreds of seats. | Such a result would see Farage form the biggest party in parliament, with the Tories losing hundreds of seats. |
| Johnson has the strongest support among Conservative supporters to be the party’s next leader, the poll found. While 24% want Johnson, the other standout choice is Gove, with 14%. | Johnson has the strongest support among Conservative supporters to be the party’s next leader, the poll found. While 24% want Johnson, the other standout choice is Gove, with 14%. |
| Meanwhile, there are continuing concerns that hardline Brexit supporters have been joining the Conservative party in order to have a vote in the forthcoming leadership election. Research conducted by the People’s Vote campaign for a second referendum has found dozens of Brexit party supporters who openly claim to have joined the Conservative party in order to vote in a leadership contest. | Meanwhile, there are continuing concerns that hardline Brexit supporters have been joining the Conservative party in order to have a vote in the forthcoming leadership election. Research conducted by the People’s Vote campaign for a second referendum has found dozens of Brexit party supporters who openly claim to have joined the Conservative party in order to vote in a leadership contest. |
| Nick Boles, who faced a deselection attempt before leaving the Tories to sit as an “independent progressive conservative”, has claimed that there has been a “systematic operation of infiltration of the Conservative party by Ukip and Ukip sympathisers”. | Nick Boles, who faced a deselection attempt before leaving the Tories to sit as an “independent progressive conservative”, has claimed that there has been a “systematic operation of infiltration of the Conservative party by Ukip and Ukip sympathisers”. |
| Yesterday, Bracknell Tory MP Phillip Lee, who backs a second referendum, lost a no-confidence vote among his local party. He issued a defiant statement, stating: “We will not be forced into taking a decision one way or the other by this orchestrated, destructive campaign from outside the party.” | Yesterday, Bracknell Tory MP Phillip Lee, who backs a second referendum, lost a no-confidence vote among his local party. He issued a defiant statement, stating: “We will not be forced into taking a decision one way or the other by this orchestrated, destructive campaign from outside the party.” |
| The Convention | The Convention |
| What’s wrong with British democracy and how to fix it will be the theme of The Convention on Tuesday 4 June at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster, London, from 6.30-8.45pm. | What’s wrong with British democracy and how to fix it will be the theme of The Convention on Tuesday 4 June at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster, London, from 6.30-8.45pm. |
| In partnership with the Observer, a line-up of distinguished speakers will explore the grave threats faced by the British political system and the rule of law from dark money, social media and the failure to punish electoral wrongdoing. | In partnership with the Observer, a line-up of distinguished speakers will explore the grave threats faced by the British political system and the rule of law from dark money, social media and the failure to punish electoral wrongdoing. |
| This groundbreaking event will feature a keynote from the award-winning Observer journalist Carole Cadwalladr, interventions from Dominic Grieve, Joanna Cherry and Stephen Kinnock, and a speech – with Q&A – from Lord Neuberger, until recently Britain’s most senior judge. | This groundbreaking event will feature a keynote from the award-winning Observer journalist Carole Cadwalladr, interventions from Dominic Grieve, Joanna Cherry and Stephen Kinnock, and a speech – with Q&A – from Lord Neuberger, until recently Britain’s most senior judge. |
| Tickets on eventbrite.co.uk | Tickets on eventbrite.co.uk |
| Conservative leadership | Conservative leadership |
| The Observer | The Observer |
| Amber Rudd | Amber Rudd |
| Conservatives | Conservatives |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| European Union | European Union |
| news | news |
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