May’s last bid to save her deal.. and her job
»»May survives Chequers summit but MPS say she must make way for new leader »»PM offers ‘no concessions’ as she struggles to get Tories to back EU deal
BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May was last night sticking stubbornly to her Brexit Plan A – despite fighting for her political survival.
She ploughed on with attempts to finally convince Eurosceptic Tory MPS to back her deal but is facing intense pressure to set out a timetable for her own departure first.
Mrs May yesterday summoned top Brexiteers to a showdown at Chequers including Jacob Rees-mogg, who attended with son Peter, 11, and Boris Johnson, who arrived apparently not wearing a seatbelt.
They told her to pass her deal she must set out her plan for leaving No10 to make sure the next stage of Brexit negotiations is led by someone else.
But one source at the PM’S country retreat told the Mirror Mrs May refused to be drawn and offered them “no concessions” to back her deal.
Over the weekend there were dramatic reports of an imminent Cabinet coup with Remainers set to her to go. Her de facto deputy David Lidington and Environment Secretary Michael Gove were cited as potential caretaker leaders but both rejected the idea.
Mrs May will now face her mutinous Cabinet this morning to agree a path through what will be the most perilous week of her leadership. And she is expected to face further calls to quit as she updates MPS on last week’s humiliating Brussels summit.
A senior No10 insider admitted to the Mirror that Mrs May’s situation was “very precarious”. They “There’s a lot of anger and we have a very narrow window to try to make progress”.
At Chequers, Mrs May threatened MPS, also including former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and ex-brexit Secretary David Davis, with a softer Brexit unless they fell into line. “It was back my deal or get a softer Brexit,” the source said.
Downing Street has also been warning Tory MPS they could even face Brexit not happening at all if they do not back the twicetell
WORK Michael Gove arrives defeated deal. The EU has given the UK until April 12 to decide on a way forward out of the current deadlock.
A cross-party group of MPS will today try to snatch control of the Brexit process from the Government, with a series of “indicative votes” on the alternative options taking place on Wednesday.
Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin, who is spearheading the move, said he believed enough MPS would back their plans, although it was unclear whether the Government would give them a free vote.
But Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay warned Britain could face a general election as a result of the “constituadded:
tional collision”. He said: “The risk of a general election increases because you potentially have a situation where Parliament is instructing the executive to do something that is counter to what it was elected to do.”
MPS have already rejected Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement by three-figure margins.
Downing Street has yet to decide if it will try again for a third time, with party whips poring over the numbers.
A No10 spokesman said: “The PM and a number of Government ministers met at Chequers for lengthy talks with senior colleagues about delivering Brexit. The meeting discussed a range of issues, including whether there is sufficient support in the Commons to bring back a meaningful vote this week.”
Westminster was rocked by reports yesterday that 11 Cabinet ministers wanted the PM to make way for someone else, with Mr Lidington lined up to temporarily take over. Other reports suggested ministers were plotting to install Mr Gove as caretaker leader.
But Mr Lidington insisted: “I don’t think that I’ve any wish to take over.
“One thing that working closely with the Prime Minister does is cure you completely of any lingering shred of ambition to want to do that task.”
Mr Gove said: “It’s not the time to change the captain of the ship. I think what we need to do is chart the right course.”
Philip Hammond admitted all was not well within the party but accused MPS trying to topple Mrs May of being “self-indulgent”.
The Chancellor also became the most senior minister yet to hint that the option of a second referendum was on the table, saying it was a “perfectly coherent proposition which deserves to be considered”, among others.
An online petition calling on the Government to cancel Brexit reached more than five million signatures yesterday. And on Saturday thousands of people marched through Central London demanding another vote.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn came under pressure for failing to attend the march.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said that Labour could fight a snap general election pledging to hold a public vote on any Brexit deal. He said the party was now clear that any deal should be subject to a confirmatory vote.
It’s not time to change the captain of the ship.. we need to chart the right course
MICHAEL GOVE ON DITCHING MRS MAY AS PRIME MINISTER