Time to turn on the charm and win vote
ity, the outcome will be tight. The Liberal Democrats will oppose the deal because of their blind ideological worship of Brussels. The Scottish Nationalists and most of the Labour Party will do so for cynical reasons of opportunism and party advantage. It looks as if the Democratic Unionist Party will not give their support as they retreat into their negative siege mentality.
BUT their blinkered stance is the height of folly. It fails to recognise the unique case of Northern Ireland, which has a dual identity because of its large nationalist population. Just as importantly, a hardcore Brexit, no-deal policy is profoundly unpopular with both the public and businesses in Ulster, who both want to see frictionless trade with Ireland continue.
Perversely, the DUP’s wilful “no surrender” attitude is a threat to both peace in Northern Ireland and the very existence of the constitutional link with Britain, the concept that Ulster Unionists are meant to cherish. But Boris could still get his deal through with the backing of three other groups. The European Research Group numbers about 80. They consistently voted against Theresa May’s flawed deal, but they appear to be much more favourable to Boris’s deal. Resolute Brexiteers like Andrea Jenkyns and Andrew Bridgen have said that they will back him. The second group is the 21 Tory rebels who lost the whip when they voted for the legislation to impose a delay in Brexit in the event of no deal. Given that most backed May’s deal, there is no reason why they would not back Boris’s better version, except out of political spite.
The third – and most vital – group is that band of Labour moderates, perhaps as many as 20, who are keen to implement the referendum result. “If the EU and Dublin are happy, then we’re happy,” said one last week. If they were willing to put nation before party, Boris’s deal could get across the line. The Labour veteran Ronnie Campbell has already explained that he will do so. “The people of this country are sick and tired of the shenanigans in Parliament over the last three years,” he said yesterday. His words should echo around the Commons on Saturday. MPs no longer have any place to hide. If they engage in further obstruction by calling for a delay or a second referendum, they will expose the reality that they are opposed to any form of Brexit.Any rejection of Boris’s deal will represent both an affront to democracy and a miserable dereliction of duty. British voters are desperate for Parliament to get Brexit done, not only so that the referendum result is delivered, but also so that our Government can finally start to address other key issues, like the fight against crime, the future of the NHS and the need to improve social care.
Such questions have been sadly neglected because of the Brexit turmoil. Through his skill and determination, Boris Johnson has given MPs a golden opportunity to bring this exhausting saga to an end.They should seize the moment without any more self-indulgence. BORIS Johnson goes into battle in a monumental Parliamentary showdown tomorrow as Remainers try to derail his Brexit deal.
He is on a smooze offensive to charm wavering MPs and is set to offer reassurances about the impact leaving under the new terms will have on workers’ rights and the environment.
Labour’s Ruth Smeeth, of Leave-voting Stoke-on-Trent, was one of the first opposition MPs to say she was ready to back the Prime Minister.
“It’s my intention to vote for a deal,” she said.
Tory Brexiteer members of the European Research Group who refused to back Theresa May’s deal struck a positive tone last night.Andrew Bridgen said the agreement was in the “best interests of the whole of the UK”.
“This is more palatable to me,” he said. “It looks like Brexit, it smells like Brexit.”
Mr Johnson will want to also win the support of the 21 Tory MPs who had the whip withdrawn for backing legislation to stop the UK leaving the EU without a deal. By NIGEL Farage claimed yesterday that it would be better to delay Brexit than leave under Boris Johnson’s new deal.
He slammed the Prime Minister’s agreement with Brussels calling it “dreadful”.
The Brexit Party leader said he would rather have a general election than see Britian leave on the newlyagreed terms.
Mr Farage said: “Would I rather accept a new European treaty that is frankly very bad for us or would I prefer to have an extension and a general election? I would always go for the latter option.”
He added: “I thought Theresa May’s deal was the worst deal in history, Boris’s achievements mean it’s only the second worst deal in history. It’s still, from the point of view of a Brexiteer, completely and utterly unacceptable.”
But the Brexiteer repeated his offer to work with the Tories if an election is called.
“There is a possibility of putting together a Leave alliance,” he added, calling No Deal the better option “by a million miles”.