This deal is worse than we expected; it is time for a clean, global exit

You never know quite why you are summoned to see the Chief Whip. When I was, I feared I had said something wrong. And yet, after a meeting that lasted little more than a few seconds, I was invited to become the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Dominic Raab, the then Brexit secretary. Immediately, I accepted. I must hold the record as the PPS who has served for the shortest time. Less than 48 hours later, the PM held her Cabinet meeting, which resulted in Raab resigning. How careless of me to have lost my boss so quickly. Regret it? Not one bit. Trust your instincts.

And what do my instincts tell me about the Prime Minister’s deal? They tell me to stop. To read. To look at the detail. I am, after all, a lawyer by training. But when I do, all of my worst fears are confirmed. The reality is that Mrs May’s deal may be even worse than we had been led to expect. For me, Brexit is simple. I believe our laws should be made in Westminster. It is a question of sovereignty. As to the deal, I needed to be persuaded of two things. Firstly, that any transition is time limited and that we can get out of it. Secondly, that it maintained the UK’S integrity. In the Commons, the PM did not shy away from hard facts. It was pointed out that the protocol gives the UK a choice either to implement the backstop or to seek an extension of the transition period. She confirmed that it would be a matter for negotiation with the EU. That is not good enough. I have not been aiming for “no deal”. My preference was, and remains, a comprehensive free trade agreement. In any event, how terrible the phrase “no deal”; from here on in, we should call it “a Clean Global Brexit”.

There is a still chance that a free-trade agreement is possible. But unless and until the EU is ready to treat the UK with respect, we must redouble preparations for a Clean Global Brexit, on WTO terms.

That’s my advice to Mrs May and anyone who wants to be the next PM. She said that colleagues “must do what they believe to be right”. This echoes David Cameron, when he told MPS before the referendum that we must vote with our heart.

There is no doubting the PM’S courage, stamina and sense of duty. However, sadly, she does not appear to believe in Brexit. There is still time for her to change tack. If not, we need a leader who will. One with vision who can take this country into the future, unafraid of a Clean Global Brexit.

Michael Tomlinson is MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole