May: I’m sticking to my Brexit blueprint
PM wants to keep pre-election plan to leave single market despite threats to soften exit
THERESA MAY has signalled she will not compromise over Brexit despite growing demands for a change in approach in the wake of last week’s election result.
The Prime Minister is understood to be determined to enter talks in Brussels next week with a threat that Britain is prepared to leave the EU without securing a trade deal.
She also wishes to stick to the preelection Conservative plan for the country to leave the single market and customs union to allow the UK to negotiate free-trade partnerships around the world and control immigration.
It puts her at odds with her Chancellor, Philip Hammond, who is preparing to fight to keep Britain in the customs union, according to reports.
The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that senior Conservative and Labour figures had begun private talks over a new cross-party plan to soften Brexit.
However, within hours of details of the meetings emerging, the Prime Minister appointed Steve Baker, the leader of Parliament’s most prominent Eurosceptic group, to a key ministerial post in the Brexit department.
The decision to push ahead with the original Brexit blueprint delighted Leave campaigners in the Cabinet, but caused disquiet among some junior members and other senior Tory figures.
A senior Brexit minister was sacked and another resigned reportedly because of concerns that Mrs May’s plan would face stiff opposition in the Lords.
Lord Bridges, a Remain-supporting minister, quit on “policy grounds” because he became “convinced Brexit couldn’t work”, according to reports.
Mrs May presides over a Cabinet with deep divisions on Brexit, ranging from arch-eurosceptics such as Boris Johnson, David Davis, Michael Gove and Liam Fox to passionate Remainers, chief among whom is Mr Hammond.
Mrs May had planned to sack Mr Hammond after the election following a series of rows, but with her authority shattered by the loss of her majority she was forced to keep him in place.
Now battle lines have been drawn between Number 10 and Number 11 over Brexit, according to a report in today’s Times, with Mr Hammond trying to build support for a softening of the Government’s position. He is likely to win support from Damian Green, the newly appointed First Secretary of State, a Remainer who is one of the Prime Minister’s closest friends in politics.
Mr Hammond and business secretary Greg Clark both favour a “jobs first” Brexit deal.
Sir John Major urged the Prime Minister to seek a cross-party consensus, saying: “I think the concept of what we crudely call a hard Brexit is becoming increasingly unsustainable … a hard
Brexit was not endorsed by the electorate in this particular election.
“It would be very wise indeed to bring in much wider parliamentary opinion so that when the Prime Minister has a deal, she can be certain that she’s going to have parliamentary and public support for that deal.”
In public, Mrs May and her ministers are toning down the rhetoric they use to describe Brexit.
Mrs May used her first Commons appearance since the election to call for MPS to “come together in a spirit of national unity”, while ardent Leave campaigner Michael Gove, the new Environment Secretary, said the hung parliament meant the Government would have to “work with everyone”.
Guy Verhofstadt, the lead Brexit negotiator for the European Parliament, said Brussels was “impatiently waiting for the negotiating position of the UK Government”.
He added: “The current uncertainty cannot continue.”
Meanwhile, Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, suggested it was not too late for Britain to reverse its decision to leave the EU.
He said: “If they wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors.”