Cabinet war as MPs get chance to delay Brexit
Senior cabinet ministers have been accused by their colleagues of sabotaging talks with the European Union after they forced British Prime Minister Theresa May to give MPs a chance to delay Brexit.
May yesterday bowed to a cabinet rebellion and will allow MPs a vote to stop Britain leaving without a deal on March 29 if her agreement falls in the House of Commons again. They can then vote to ask the EU to extend negotiations for a ‘‘short, limited’’ period.
The concession provoked acrimony in cabinet. Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, David Gauke, the justice secretary, and Greg Clark, the business secretary, were accused of ‘‘kamikaze’’ behaviour by Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury.
The Remain-supporting trio threatened to resign unless May promised to find a way of avoiding a no-deal departure if her Brexit plan was defeated. They were rebuked by the prime minister for breaking cabinet collective responsibility.
Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, said the EU was now less likely to give concessions.
One cabinet source said he told the meeting that he thought ‘‘some of his colleagues’ behaviour had been very poor’’. He argued that the EU would offer concessions only if it believed that Britain was serious about leaving without a deal. He also pointed out that the Article 50 time frame was not Britain’s to determine, meaning the move was a bigger risk than many recognised.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a backbench Conservative MP and leader of the hard-Brexit-supporting European Research Group, said those pushing for a delay were plotting to stop Brexit.
May tried to pacify Brexiteers, saying that ‘‘if we have to, I believe we will ultimately make a success of a no-deal’’. She also warned that putting off the departure date set up a ‘‘much sharper cliff edge’’ this year, because the EU would almost certainly refuse another delay.
Ministers also admitted in impact assessments yesterday that a third of the government’s most critical no-deal Brexit plans were behind schedule.
May has set March 12 as the final date by which she will put a revised deal to a Commons vote. However, David Lidington, her de facto deputy, has told MPs that the next meaningful vote could be held next week.
Downing Street sources cautioned that talks over concessions on the Irish backstop were at a crucial stage, and that any breakthrough would need to be approved by a number of EU figures before it could be put to the Commons.
The prime minister’s move succeeded in deferring the immediate threat posed by a cross-party amendment to put parliament in charge of the Brexit timetable.
May’s official spokesman later refused to say that she would seek an extension beyond June – as some in the EU have suggested may be necessary – if MPs voted to mandate her to do so.
Some pro-EU ministers fear that May will seek to set impossible conditions on an extension request that would have to be approved by all 27 EU leaders at a summit on March 21.
– The Times