Pres goes nuts at crisis

TANZANIAN President John Magufuli has sacked his agriculture and trade ministers over the country’s cashew nut crisis.

Traders must buy crops by today from farmers at an approved price.

If they don’t, Mr Magufuli will send in the army to collect the produce. BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May faces a crushing Brexit defeat if she tries to keep the UK too close to Brussels, warns a senior Cabinet Minister.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said Parliament would reject a deal unless Britain could decide its customs rules with the EU.

But Education Secretary Damian Hinds warned such an outcome would be “very, very unlikely”. Key to a deal is a temporary customs arrangement between the UK and EU – or backstop – to prevent border controls in Ireland

The split between senior Tories comes as No10 is braced for more ministerial resignations.

Boris Johnson’s brother Jo quit as Transport Minister last week and demanded a second referendum.

Speaking of the backstop, Brexiteer Mrs Leadsom said: “It must be capable for the UK to decide to leave that customs arrangement, it cannot be something the EU can hold us to.

“That would… fail to fulfil on the will of the people expressed at the referendum. I very much doubt we’d get it through Parliament.”

The row unfolded after hardline Tory Brexiteers and the DUP warned they were ready to vote down the Prime Minister’s EU withdrawal plans.