Hypocrite! Grieve had vowed not to tie PM’s hands on Brexit deal

THE Tory MP leading a rebel bid to tie Theresa May’s hands in Brexit talks pledged last year that he did not want to restrict her right to walk away from the negotiating table, it can be revealed.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve is at the centre of efforts by MPs to give themselves the power to order ministers to go back to Brussels or delay Brexit if there is no deal.

But it emerged Mr Grieve told the Commons in March last year that he did not want to ‘fetter the Government’s hands in negotiations or indeed the Government’s right to walk away from the negotiations’.

He was confronted about the remarks on BBC Question Time on Thursday night.

Mr Grieve said: ‘A year ago, we had nearly two years to negotiate and indeed I have never interfered with the Government’s negotiations. I simply ask, does it look as if this negoti- ation is proving easy? Does it look like it is going to come to a readily satisfactory conclusion?’

He added it would be an ‘apocalyptic moment’ if no Brexit deal was reached by early February.

Yesterday, Mr Grieve claimed Mrs May’s refusal to back down over the issue had ‘reduced trust’ in her. His fellow pro-EU Tory allies warned the Prime Minister is pursuing a ‘high-risk strategy’ by seeking to deny MPs a chance to block a no-deal Brexit.

Mrs May bought off a Tory rebellion over the EU Withdrawal Bill with compromise proposals that would give MPs a vote even if talks with Brussels collapse and there is no deal to consider.

But she then vetoed the demand to be able to ‘direct’ the Government to go back to Brussels or delay Brexit.

The House of Lords will consider the Government’s amendment on Monday and is expected to reject it. The Bill returns to the Commons on Wednesday.

Remain-backing Tory peers have been warned they will be sacked as government envoys unless they back key Brexit legislation on Monday, according to a government source.

‘Apocalyptic moment’