May makes a ‘bold offer’ – but Heseltine is voting for the Liberal Democrats

Tory grandee Michael Heseltine has said he will vote Liberal Democrat in next week’s European elections, warning his own party has become “infected by the virus of extremism”.

Lord Heseltine, a minister under Margaret Thatcher, said he could not back a party “myopically focused on forcing through the biggest act of economic selfharm ever undertaken by a democratic government” by delivering Brexit.

It came as the Prime Minister pledged a “bold offer” for MPS ahead of the publication of Brexit legislation, in a bid to win an unlikely victory when her deal is voted on for a fourth time in June.

Lord Heseltime told a national newspaper that the need for an inclusive Tory

party is “greater than ever”, and warned: “The middle ground of politics is empty.”

He said he would resist attempts to force him out of his party, and suggested the only alternative to a no-deal Brexit or a “Marxist government” under Jeremy Corbyn was a second EU referendum.

Ministers will begin discussions today on a package of measures in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill aimed at securing crossparty support. Cabinet will then consider plans tomorrow for indicative votes in the Commons to establish which proposals could command a majority.

The Bill is expected to include new measures on protecting workers’ rights, an issue where agreement with Labour was said to have been close. However, crossparty talks with Labour collapsed on Friday, making a majority for the Withdrawal Agreement Bill at its second reading unlikely.

The legislation is expected to include provisions on customs arrangements with the EU and on Northern Ireland, including the use of technology to avoid a hard border. It will not, however, seek to change the Withdrawal Agreement or the Irish border backstop.

Writing in The Sunday Times, Mrs May said: “I still believe there is a majority in Parliament to be won for leaving with a deal.

“When the Withdrawal Agreement Bill comes before MPS, it will represent a new, bold offer to MPS across the House of Commons, with an improved package of measures that I believe can win new support. Whatever the outcome of any votes, I will not be simply asking MPS to think again. Instead I will ask them to look at a new and improved deal with fresh pairs of eyes.”

Regardless of how the vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill goes, Mrs May will then meet the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, to agree a timetable for a leadership election.

Nigel Evans, the executive secretary of the 1922, said: “You can watch the movie Titanic a hundred times, but I’m afraid the ship sinks every time.

“An increasing number of Conservative MPS – even those who voted for it a second or third time – are saying enough is enough.”