May seeks the backing of grassroot Tories
EMBATTLED Theresa May has reached out to Tory members with a letter aimed at winning them over for her controversial Chequers plan for Brexit.
The Prime Minister has faced the threat of a vote of confidence by her pro-Brexit MPs after the Chequers plan led to foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit secretary David Davis quitting.
There are fears that the proposal to have a common rulebook with the EU and a complicated customs arrangement will stop free trade deals and tie Britain to Brussels rules.
In the letter sent to Tory members around the country, Mrs May acknowledged that last month’s Brexit White Paper had provoked “strong feelings” within the party.
But she insisted the proposals will honour the result of the referendum.
The letter, obtained by the ConservativeHome website, came as it emerged Mrs May is considering calling a toplevel summit of Cabinet ministers early in September as part of the process of stepping up preparations for a possible “no-deal” Brexit.
A slew of polls taken since the Cabinet summit in Chequers suggest unhappiness among large swathes of party members with Mrs May’s plans.
The Prime Minister has already attempted to allay concerns by inviting Conservative Association chairmen to Downing Street
In her letter, Mrs May recognised Tory concerns that her proposal for a common rulebook with the EU on goods would stop the UK doing trade deals, but insisted: “This is not the case – and I would not be proposing it if it would.”
Mrs May said talks with the EU had reached an impasse, as both of the options on offer from Brussels were “not acceptable to me or to the United Kingdom”.
She said getting a good deal would require “pragmatism and compromise from both sides”.
But she insisted: “This vision for our future relationship with the EU will be very challenging for the EU – it is in no sense a concession to their demands.
“I have been very clear that we are rejecting the two models they have put forward. Instead we are asking them to accept a bespoke model which meets the unique requirements of the United Kingdom.”