May’s Brexit plan ‘worst of all worlds’
Two Tories quit amid threat of confidence vote
LONDON • British Prime Minister Theresa May’s attempts to shore up her authority suffered a fresh blow Tuesday after two vice-chairmen of the Conservative Party quit and warned her Brexit plan will lead directly to Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn’s election.
Maria Caulfield and Ben Bradley stepped down over May’s compromise plan, describing it as the “worst of all worlds” and warning that it will cost the party votes at the next election.
It comes after May was hit by the resignation of both Boris Johnson and David Davis on Monday over the plans. Euroskeptics warned that there will be a “domino effect” after they quit.
Caulfield said in her letter that the customs backstop — which would tie Britain to the EU in the event that there is no solution to the Irish border issue — is “bad for our country and bad for our party … The direct consequences of that will be Prime Minister Corbyn.”
Bradley warned that May’s Brexit plan will fail to deliver “Brexit in spirit as well as name.”
“We are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10,” he said.
It came as Tory Euroskeptics warned May that she has a week to abandon her Chequers compromise or face a vote of no confidence in her leadership. Senior Brexiteers said that they have enough “letters in hand” to trigger a confidence vote and will submit them unless she hardens her stance on Brexit.
“If the policy does not change; the letters will go in,” a Euroskeptic Tory MP said. “Her deal will be rejected by Brussels, Downing Street must know that. They are either being incompetent or disingenuous.”
Another senior Euroskeptic said that whips have been “twisting the arms” of Tory MPs in a bid to stop them submitting their letters.
“They’re just trying to get through to the summer recess,” the MP said. “If they can make it without a confidence vote they think it’ll take the heat out of this. It won’t.”
May got no help from U.S. President Donald Trump on the eve of his visit, as he said he wanted to meet his “friend” Boris Johnson during his four-day stay in Britain, praising the former foreign secretary for being “very supportive” of him.
The president’s comments will bolster Johnson’s support among Brexiteers who believe he is better suited than May to secure a clean break from the EU.
Speculation mounted Tuesday that Trump will use his visit to call for a bold Brexit plan that would enable the government to strike trade deals with the U.S. and other major global economies. There was unease in Whitehall Tuesday night at the possibility that he could overstep boundaries by criticizing May’s agreement.