May is warned she cannot win with Brexit deal
Bust up over customs
THERESA May faces a crushing Brexit defeat if she tries to keep the UK too close to Brussels, warns a senior Cabinet Minister.
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said Parliament would reject a deal unless Britain could decide its customs rules with the EU.
But Education Secretary Damian Hinds warned such an outcome would be “very, very unlikely”.
Key to a deal is a temporary customs arrangement between the UK and EU – or backstop – to prevent border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
The split between senior Tories comes as No10 is braced for more ministerial resignations.
Boris Johnson’s brother Jo quit as Transport Minister last week and
demanded a second referendum. Speaking of the backstop, Brexiteer Mrs Leadsom said: “It must be capable for the United Kingdom to decide to leave that customs arrangement, it cannot be something the European Union can hold us to.
“That would… fail to fulfil on the will of the people expressed at the referendum. I very much doubt we’d get it through Parliament.”
The row unfolded after hardline Tory Brexiteers and the DUP warned they were ready to vote down the Prime Minister’s EU withdrawal plans.
Mrs May is also unlikely to win support for a deal from Labour. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily
Thornberry warned her: “You cannot expect the Labour Party to save you from your own backbenchers who are saying this deal makes no sense – and everybody knows it doesn’t make sense.” Ms Thornberry said yesterday if Mrs May fails to get her pact through the Commons, and denies Labour a general election, the party would back a second referendum.
■ Some 75% of Brits believe Brexit is distracting attention from more pressing issues such as the NHS and schools, a poll of 2,000 suggests.