Tory and Labour MPs critical of prime minister following speech

Tory and Labour MPs have united in their criticism of Theresa May following the defiant Downing Street speech in which the prime minister continued to argue the merits of her Chequers proposal for exiting the EU.

Despite being roundly rejected by EU leaders in Salzburg, Mrs May stuck to the argument that Chequers was the best way to “protect jobs” and “avoid a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland”.

Former education secretary Justine Greening said the Prime Minister’s approach was now “neither fair nor sensible”.

Appearing on BBC News she said: “I just think for any government on an issue so important to our future as Brexit, a strategy of just guessing what the British public want and then hoping that it will work out OK, from my perspective, is simply neither fair nor sensible politically.

“That’s why I think it would be wise for her to start listening to MPs in her own party and indeed people in the country.

“The latest opinion poll showed just 14% of people supporting Chequers. That is not carrying out the will of the British people.”

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer accused the Prime Minister of being “in denial” over the Chequers proposals.

Sir Keir told BBC News: “The Prime Minister’s negotiating strategy is collapsing around her and that’s why we’re in this impasse and the country is staring down the barrel of no deal.

“I think the levels of anxiety are going up around the country day after day and the prime minister, I think, is appearing to be in denial.

“I don’t understand why she’s failed to hear the message that the Chequers proposal wasn’t going to be accepted by the EU, and frankly it’s not going to be accepted by her own party.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May had shown herself “incapable of delivering a good Brexit deal”.

Critical: Sir Keir Starmer