Mogg’s glimmer of hope for Mrs May
JACOB Rees-Mogg gave Downing Street a glimmer of hope last night when he said he would vote for Theresa May’s Brexit deal if the Democratic Unionist Party will back it.
The decision by the leader of the hardline European Research Group (ERG) would be a huge boost for the Prime Minister if the DUP comes on side.
But that remains uncertain after the party’s leader Arlene Foster yesterday in effect vetoed plans for another meaningful vote on the deal today and the DUP rounded on Mrs May in the Commons.
Mr Rees-Mogg confirmed last night that he had made the conditional pledge on backing the Prime Minister’s deal at an ERG meeting in Westminster.
Asked afterwards whether he believed the DUP would come on board, Mr Rees-Mogg said: ‘The DUP want guarantees. It doesn’t look like they’ve got them at the moment.’ Asked whether they might get them this week, he replied: ‘Who knows.’
Should Mr Rees-Mogg back the deal, he is likely to bring a number of other MPs with him.
Brexiteer MP Bob Seely tweeted: ‘Am hearing from colleagues that this is – potentially – significant, that’s how it’s being portrayed. Maybe start of something – I hope so – but DUP still need to move. If they do, the deal is back in business. Hope not a red herring.’
But the positive tone was not echoed by many of the others in the room, some of whom said the group was split 50-50.
DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson also set out in ‘clear terms’ last night to the ERG why he would yet not support Mrs May’s deal, according to one of those present.
It came as Mrs May warned hardline Eurosceptics last night to confront ‘the reality’ that MPs will not allow the country to leave the EU without a deal.
The Prime Minister said those wanting a No Deal Brexit needed to realise that Parliament would ‘do everything it can’ to take the option off the table.
At a summit on Thursday, EU leaders agreed a short extension so that if a deal is not passed by the end of this week the UK will leave on April 12 without an agree- ment. Many believe that No Deal is the legal, default position should the Commons fail to pass a deal before that date.
But Mrs May opened yesterday’s Cabinet meeting by warning No Deal was not viable because it would put the Union at risk.
And she told MPs that while it remained the ‘default outcome’, she did not believe they would let this happen. Downing Street is hoping that Eurosceptic MPs will vote for the Prime Minister’s deal if they believe Parliament will impose a softer Brexit.
Speaking in the Commons, Mrs May said: ‘I hope we can all agree that we are now at the moment of decision and in doing so we must confront the reality of the hard choices before us.
‘Unless this House agrees to it, No Deal will not happen, no Brexit must not happen, and a slow Brexit that extends Article 50 beyond May 22, forces the British people to take part in European elections and gives up control of any of our borders, laws, money or trade is not a Brexit that will bring the British people together.’
Tory MP Crispin Blunt accused Mrs May of ‘the most shameful surrender by a British leader since Singapore in 1942’.
The Prime Minister responded by saying MPs had twice rejected No Deal, adding: ‘The reality is that this House has shown its intention to do everything it can to take No Deal off the table and we all need to recognise that if we are going to deliver on Brexit.’
‘No Deal will not happen’