NO PLACE TO HIDE
Desperate May warned not to delay vote on her EU deal
THERESA May was under intense pressure from all sides last night to face up to defeat in the Commons and stop trying to wriggle out of the vote.
The Prime Minister has to make a decision today to push on with a vote on her “deal” for Brexit tomorrow.
But there were suggestions she’s desperate to find a delaying tactic and seek a last minute get-out-ofjail card from the Eurpean Union.
It comes after another weekend of constitutional chaos:
Labour said they are ready for a Jeremy Corbyn minority administration.
An opinion poll showed Scots prefer independence to staying in the UK after Brexit.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell suggested there could be a second EU referendum.
Last night, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May must get on with it to clear the way for alternative plans.
She said: “Delaying Tuesday’s vote would be putting Tory Party interests first – again.
“Have the vote, let the bad deal be defeated and then focus on the better way forward. Anything else just wastes time.”
Labour’s shadow cabinet office minister Jon Tricket repeated his party’s hope for a general election.
He said: “Our preferred option, very, very strongly, is that we refresh the Parliament, though we are ready to form a minority government should that be necessary – and it could happen on Wednesday morning.”
May and her remaining allies spent the weekend desperately seeking support for a deal which now looks doomed.
MPs loyal to the PM also played down suggestions she’s preparing to go to Brussels today for help.
Her Brexit minister Kwasi Kwarteng insisted the vote will be held tomorrow but admitted some Tories might still quit.
He said: “I think one or two people might leave, I don’t know who they will be. They might decide to retire or they might decide to abandon the party whip. That has happened before.”
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the vote tomorrow is “100 per cent happening”.
May warned Tory rebels the country will be in “uncharted waters” if her withdrawal plan is defeated. She said: “It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the EU with no deal.
“We have a leader of the opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country.
“As someone who cares passionately about my country and my party, I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take.”
Hardline Brexiteer Boris Johnson continued to pour scorn on the withdrawal plan.
He said leaving on May’s terms would leave the UK open to “blackmail” by the EU.
Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab refused to rule himself out of a leadership bid.
And former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, who also quit because of the deal, said she’d think about it “if asked”.
Johnson repeatedly refused to rule it out during a BBC interview yesterday.
The SNP’s Europe spokesman, Stephen Gethins MP, said Parliament must reject the PM’s deal tomorrow. He said: “No Scottish MP worth their salt can vote for this deal, which makes
No Scottish MP worth their salt can vote for this deal STEPHEN GETHINS SNP EUROPE SPOKESMAN
Scotland and the UK poorer, which puts jobs and living standards at risk and will harm our NHS.”
But Mundell warned there is no other deal available.
He added: “So Parliament might – and I don’t take this position – but Parliament might put another referendum in place and that ultimately could lead to a reversal of the result.”
Mundell had threatened to quit his Government job if Northern Ireland got a special deal.
He added: “There’s a whole range of uncertain things that could happen. Nobody wants that.”