Brexsplit
Pointless PM returns from holiday to a party in chaos, bitter fighting over Europe and Scots leader Ruth and others plotting her demise
THERESA May’s Tory Party have been plunged into Brexit civil war as she returns from her summer break.
The Prime Minister was hit by a series of attacks over the weekend – with prominent Remainer Anna Soubry saying she would consider quitting the party to keep Britain in the EU.
There were also reports of a coup led by Chancellor Philip Hammond to get pro-EU minister Amber Rudd into No10.
Soubry warned the PM yesterday that she needed to face down the “hard Brexiteers” in the party if she wanted to hold on to her position in Downing Street.
She added: “Mrs May is making a great mistake if she allows her policy to be dictated by the Brexit ideologues.
“They effectively brought down John Major, David Cameron and, arguably, Margaret Thatcher and will not hesitate to do the same to her,”
Soubry also indicated that she could be prepared to join politicians from other parties to stop the country “staggering recklessly” towards a hard break with Brussels.
She said: “Could I ever see myself joining with like-minded people who want to save our country from such an appalling fate and has that moment arrived yet? “The answer to the first question is, ‘It is not impossible’. The answer to the second is, ‘No’. But I would be betraying my principles if I did not make it clear that country must always come before party.”
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson was also reported to be backing a bid to topple May.
It was claimed she is working with Hammond to back Rudd for No10. But a spokesman for Davidson said the claims were “rubbish”, adding: “Ruth backs the PM.”
Hammond joined forces with Brexiteer Liam Fox to declare that a transition deal to leave the EU would not become a “back door” to remaining in Europe.
After a summer of cabinet feuding, Hammond, who favours a “softer” pro-business Brexit, and Fox, a hardline Brexiteer, said they agreed there should not be a “cliff-edge” break when Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.
In a joint article for a Sunday newspaper, they said Brexit would mean pulling out of the EU single market and the customs union.
They wrote: “Businesses need to have confidence that there will not be a cliff-edge when we leave the EU.
“That is why we believe a time-limited interim period will be important to further our national interest and give business greater certainty. But it cannot be indefinite – it cannot be a back door to staying in the EU.”
Labour’s Ben Bradshaw MP said: “Pulling Britain out of the single market and the customs union in 2019 will drive our economy over a cliff edge, putting jobs and family finances at risk.”
May is reported to be ready to make a grovelling apology to the Tory faithful at the party’s annual conference in October in an attempt to stave off any coup attempt against her.
Tory super-toff Jacob ReesMogg, meanwhile, was unveiled as the latest hard-line Brexiteer to be willing to throw his hat in the ring for the party leadership.
Rees-Mogg is canvassing support among Tory MPs while denying he has leadership ambitions.