Brexit’s so close... it’s no time for treachery

AFTER a day of high drama – and an agonisingly prolonged Cabinet meeting – Theresa May emerged from No 10 last night with all her best qualities on display. In her statement, she showed her calmness under stress, her indomitable resilience and her dogged determination to serve the nation, no matter what enemies or fate might hurl at her.

Now, after five long hours of debate and patient persuasion, she had earned her reward by securing collective agreement to her Brexit transition deal from a ministerial team embracing widely divergent views.

This was a formidable achievement. Indeed, it must be fair to say that no other Conservative could have pulled it off, keeping Brexit on course and the Cabinet behind its leader (for now, at least).

Yet incredibly, this was the moment hardline Tory Brexiteers chose to declare open war on the Prime Minister, vowing to trigger a leadership contest that could throw thousands of hours of negotiations back to square one and cause turmoil at home.

More extraordinary still, they hadn’t even read the deal against which they huffed and puffed so vehemently, brushing aside Mrs May’s assurances that it offers almost everything they’ve demanded.

Leave aside the damage to the economy if the agreement collapses – and the billions in investment waiting to be unleashed if it goes through, ending almost two-and-ahalf years of uncertainty for businesses.

In this imperfect world, Mrs May’s deal offers the only hope of an orderly withdrawal acceptable to Brussels – while tearing it up would put any form of Brexit in doubt.

Indeed, it would play into the hands of those demanding a second referendum to overturn the first. And where would that leave the Brexiteers’ hopes of ending free movement and regaining control of our borders, trade, money and laws?

Worse, their suicidal threat to topple Mrs May could open No 10 to Jeremy Corbyn – and put an unreconstructed Marxist in charge of the nation’s purse strings.

Will the die-hards never get the message that Britain is fed up with their posturing? The public want Brexit pushed through, with the best deal Brussels is prepared to sign. As she showed again yesterday, Mrs May is surely the leader to achieve it.