I won’t write to Sir Graham as long as Mrs May goes for a no-deal Brexit

Ivehemently oppose the current iteration of the Chequers agreement negotiated by the Prime Minister with the EU. And I will vote against the Government if this version is presented to Parliament.

What I will not do is write to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, saying I have lost confidence in Theresa May. I am a Brexiteer since before the word was invented, and the last thing we need right now is a vote of confidence. Why?

Firstly, I oppose Chequers because we could find ourselves in a position where we cannot unilaterally decide to leave the customs union. That’s worse than before, when we could at least unilaterally trigger Article 50 to leave the EU.

And while we remain in the customs union, we will have to abide by the EU’S rules without having any influence in the making of them, be forbidden from making free trade agreements with other nations, still not have control over our borders and have to pay around £18 billion a year for that doubtful privilege.

It’s not that I don’t trust Mrs May. She undoubtedly tried to get the best deal she could. It’s that I don’t trust the EU. So I would rather we left without the Chequers agreement. It will not be a chaotic Brexit – 95 per cent of the terms of how we cooperate with the EU after Brexit are already agreed.

If there is a vote of no confidence, I believe Theresa May will win, and win convincingly. That will strengthen the hand of Remainer MPS in the party and, crucially, she will be fortified by the knowledge that the rules state that no further no-confidence vote can be triggered against her for 12 months. This gives her a virtual free hand.

Like all leaders, Mrs May has her faults, but her sense of duty and meticulous understanding of detail cannot be doubted. I think if Chequers were rejected, she would apply her talents to delivering a Brexit in the national interest while not binding us to Brussels. But if she is not prepared to work for a no-deal Brexit, only then will I be free to write to Sir Graham.