Tories woo 25 Labour MPs to push May’s plan through

TORY whips hope as many as 25 labour MPs could vote with them to get Theresa May’s Chequers Brexit plan through the Commons, it was claimed last night.

as the Prime Minister made a pitch to the centre ground and labour voters, it was reported that her whips’ office had made contact with more than two dozen labour MPs.

Downing Street may need labour support for Chequers when Parliament is given a meaningful vote on the deal, if one is agreed, before Christmas.

It came as Mrs May appealed to labour voters to abandon Jeremy Corbyn and switch to her ‘moderate’ party.

She said the Conservatives had a ‘patriotic programme’ as she tried to claim the middle ground of politics. Writing in The observer, Mrs May said the party had a new emphasis on building homes, adding: ‘I want voters who may previously have thought of themselves as labour supporters to look at my Government afresh.

‘They will find a decent, moderate and patriotic programme that is worthy of their support.’

Mrs May said that in an era in which traditional political allegiances counted for less, the Tories had a responsibility ‘on our shoulders’ to offer a home to millions of former labour voters who were uneasy about the party’s lurch to the left under Mr Corbyn.

Tory Brexiteers last night denied claims they were threatening to bring down the Government if Mrs May forced through a deal on the back of labour votes in the Commons.

The Sunday Times reported that a group of Tory MPs was prepared to vote against the Government on the Budget on october 29 unless Mrs May toughened her stance with Brussels.

The newspaper quoted Sir Bernard Jenkin telling a Whatsapp group of Tory MPs: ‘Make no mistake a soft/non Brexit pushed by the Conservative establishment but put through with labour support will look like we are abandoning our supporters and remove any sense of obligation among Conservative-Brexit supporting MPs to continue to support the Government.’

last night, Sir Bernard said the message had been misinterpreted.