The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
May under pressure to back down on soft Brexit
PM rejects Trump’s ‘brutal’ solution as Trade Bill returns to Commons
Theresa May has revealed that Donald Trump wanted her to sue the EU rather than negotiate the UK’s departure.
The US president said on Friday that he had offered the prime minister a solution, but that she found it too “brutal”.
Meanwhile, senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has ramped up the pressure on the embattled Conservative leader by demanding she backs down on her softer Brexit policy to avoid breaking up the party.
Stewart Hosie, the Dundee East SNP MP, said the PM is living on a “fantasy island” with the pursuit of her postBrexit trade policy, as draft legislation on future relations returns to the Commons.
Mrs May was asked on The Andrew Marr Show what advice Mr Trump had given her on the negotiations.
“He told me I should sue the EU,” the PM replied. “Not go into negotiation, sue them.”
The PM made clear she rejected that suggestion, telling Mr Marr that “actually we’re going into negotiations with them”.
Within her own party, Mr Rees-Mogg, who leads the influential European Research Group, tore into the PM’s lack of belief in Brexit, calling her “a Remainer who has remained a Remainer”.
He said: “Brexit is enormously positive, a huge opportunity for the country. I’m afraid the prime minister doesn’t see that.”
The Trade Bill returns to the Commons with ERG members tabling amendments that would deny Mrs May the Brexit she is seeking.
The Home Counties MP said the “wrecking” changes put the UK Government’s plans for a “no deal scenario” in jeopardy.
Mr Hosie said the Conservative administration’s trade proposals are “little different to those unworkable ones already rejected”.
“The truth is that the best way to facilitate trade and avoid complicated and expensive border arrangements is for the UK to stay in the single market and the customs union, but we do not have a UK Government who deals in common sense,” he said.