May’s Brexit blueprint is dead, say rebels

LONDON • Conservative eurosceptics claimed to have killed off Theresa May’s Brexit negotiating strategy Monday by forcing her to make changes that will leave it “dead on arrival” in Brussels.

The British prime minister insisted that her Brexit blueprint was not fatally compromised after she caved in to four demands from Leave supporters in order to avoid a Commons rebellion over a key piece of Brexit legislation.

Jubilant Brexiteers believe Brussels will now reject the so-called Chequers plan, forcing May to think again.

May’s climbdown provoked a backlash from Remain-supporting Tories, who accused her of being “frightened” of her backbenchers and threatened their own rebellion when another piece of Brexit legislation is put to the vote Tuesday.

With Tory divisions over Europe once again threatening to tear the party apart, MPS from both wings of the party attacked May’s Brexit blueprint, as well as each other, as a debate on the Brexit customs bill descended into mudslinging.

It came as May prepared to address grassroots members in a conference call Tuesday in a direct appeal to them to back her deal, after Conservative Central HQ emailed constituency chairmen pleading with them to publicly support the proposal.

One senior Conservative warned that the Brexit plan amounted to an “existential issue” for the Tory party which risks being wiped out at the next general election if it is seen to be “betraying 17.4 million people.”

A sense of chaos gripping the British government Monday was increased when it emerged that parliament is likely to rise for summer break Thursday, five days earlier than had been scheduled.

Whitehall sources insisted the idea was simply to avoid MPS having to return for a single day next week, but it would also mean May’s critics in her own party would not have enough time to force a no-confidence vote before September.

Scott Mann, a parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury, resigned Sunday, saying he could not support the “watered down” Brexit being proposed by May. He was the seventh member of the government to resign over Brexit in 10 days, and the 10th Tory MP overall.

Brexiteers in the Tory Party celebrated after May accepted four amendments to the customs bill tabled by Jacob Rees-mogg, the leader of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPS, and others.

The most controversial of them would prevent Britain collecting EU tariffs at the borders — a key part of May’s customs plan — unless Brussels agreed to a reciprocal arrangement.

Sources in Brussels said all May’s customs suggestions had been rejected, so the amendments made no difference to the chance of a deal being agreed