Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BREXIT VOTE SHOWDOWN
Desperate plea for Tory ceasefire to avoid defeat
THERESA May will attempt to bring warring MPS in line tonight in a bid to dodge Brexit defeats in the Commons this week.
The Prime Minister will make a last-ditch plea for support as she addresses the party’s 1922 Committee of backbenchers in Parliament.
Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, a Remainer, and Brexit-backing former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, yesterday appealed for unity in a joint Sunday Telegraph article.
The pair called on Tories to “march in lockstep” ahead of crunch Brexit Bill votes tomorrow and Wednesday.
They said a lack of Tory unity could hand power to Labour, warning: “We cannot allow ourselves to become divided and risk losing the precious chance to go on implementing policies that transform lives.”
It comes after a week in which Brexit Secretary David Davis threatened to quit and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that US President Donald Trump would be better at negotiating the UK’S EU withdrawal.
Former Chancellor Ken Clarke also called for unity. He said: “We need to rescue the Prime Minister from this terrible treatment she is getting from key members of her Cabinet.”
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer downplayed the votes.
He said: “The idea that this is the last-chance saloon on a singlemarket deal is misconceived. There will be another chance with those bills.” Mr Davis returned to Brussels last night for further talks with EU’S chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
The PM’S deputy, David Lidington, denied talks were doomed. “We have put something on the table. Michel Barnier has responded constructively. “I am not expecting a meltdown.” But a source told the Sunday Times that Mrs May was “toast” either way.