MPs will back deal with Labour, say former ministers
MPS would swing behind any Brexit plan agreed by Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, two former Cabinet ministers claimed yesterday.
Nicky Morgan, a Tory former education secretary, and Caroline Flint, a Labour former communities secretary, told their leaders a compromise would succeed.
Negotiators for both parties are this afternoon expected to meet to discuss the Prime Minister’s proposal for Britain to remain temporarily in a customs union with the EU.
Hardline Tory Eurosceptics and Labour Party Remainers have warned of the dangers of a cross-party deal.
But in an article for Conservative Home, Mrs Morgan said: ‘If Conservative MPs don’t want the Prime Minister to have to rely on Labour votes to get those things over the line then
‘Baffling procedures in Parliament’
they know what they have to do – vote for the current draft agreement, or vote for a second reading of the Bill as it is presented to us.
‘If my colleagues won’t do that, then what choice does the Prime Minister have but to come to an agreement with the Labour Party? And I believe when it comes to it, the majority of the Conservative parliamentary party will back her if she does.’
Mrs Flint called on her fellow Opposition MPs to drop their calls for a second referendum and instead get behind Mrs May. She told the BBC: ‘If a deal is struck in which Labour achieves many of its goals in that deal, that it takes us up to a general election in which all parties will be able to then set out their stall, then I think that is a deal that is worth pursuing.
‘And if Labour signs up to a deal that includes those goals I think a majority of Labour MPs will support that.’
Mrs Flint insisted there was not a majority among MPs for a second referendum. Referring to last week’s local elections, she said: ‘Across the North and the Midlands Labour took a hammering ... those people voted in the referendum, many Labour voters, and others beside, for Leave. We need to show we respect their vote otherwise they will not listen to us again.’
Mr Corbyn told the Usdaw union conference yesterday that Brexit had had a big impact at the polls.
‘The Conservatives had an absolutely dreadful showing, their worst since 1995,’ he said. ‘Our results were mixed, it’s fair to say. No doubt Brexit had a big impact on the results. When our national conversation is dominated by baffling procedures in Parliament and nothing seems to change, I understand why people get frustrated.’
The new International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has said it would be worth splitting the Tory party to deliver Brexit. He claimed: ‘To get Brexit done, and to move this country on is worth an enormous amount, and we may have to take some short-term pain to do that.’