MOGG: I COULD BACK MAY AFTER ALL
BATTLE FOR BREXIT Arch Brexiteer admits PM’s deal IS better than failing to leave the EU
LEAVING the EU under Theresa May’s deal would be better than staying in, Jacob Rees-Mogg declared last night.
The chairman of the European Research Group of arch-Eurosceptics suggested that if forced to choose, he could back some version of the agreement.
His comments exposed splits between Tory opponents of the deal.
By contrast, Boris Johnson yesterday repeated his insistence that the Prime Minister’s deal was worse than staying in because the UK would be forced to follow Brussels’ rules without having any influence.
With no signs of a new agreement before Mrs May returns to Parliament on Monday with a fresh Brexit motion:
It emerged that her motion, which will be voted on by MPs on January 29, is expected to face at least two amendments aimed at stopping a no deal Brexit;
There was fresh speculation over a possible general election amid claims that several ministers have told their constituencies to prepare for a snap poll;
It was claimed that Downing Street was considering blocking a peerage for Commons Speaker John Bercow amid anger over his handling of the Brexit crisis;
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said staying in a permato nent customs arrangement with the EU would ‘not be delivering Brexit’;
It was revealed that the UK has yet to finalise agreements to replace existing free trade deals that the EU has with 40 big economies if there is a no deal Brexit.
Tory MPs loyal to Mrs May argue that Eurosceptics may be forced to choose between her Brexit and no Brexit at all in the coming weeks.
This week a group of MPs led by Tory Nick Boles launched a Bill designed to allow Parliament to stop a no deal Brexit.
Cabinet ministers have privately warned it is a ‘copper bottomed’ way of blocking Briain’s departure from the EU without a deal.
Other MPs – including former Attorney General Dominic Grieve – are pushing for a second referendum.
It could mean Mrs May’s deal, especially with the addition of some concessions from Brussels over the Irish backstop, could prove more popular with Brexiteers if it is put before MPs again by the end of the month.
Mr Rees Mogg said: ‘If I was asked rank the options in order of preference, then no deal would be better than Mrs May’s deal and Mrs May’s deal would be better than not leaving at all.
‘I don’t agree with those who say the deal is so bad it would be worse than staying in.’
His stance opens up the possibility that like-minded Eurosceptics might be persuaded to back a version of Mrs May’s withdrawal deal.
However, Mr Rees-Mogg said the chances of former Tory ministers such as Mr Boles and Mr Grieve succeeding in their bid to block no deal were ‘very, very remote’. After a speech to workers at JCB’s headquarters in Staffordshire yesterday, Mr Johnson was asked if he agreed with the ERG chairman.
The former foreign secretary insisted there were ways in which the deal on offer is ‘worse than being in the EU’.
As a member, the UK would have ‘civil servants and ministers around the table in Brussels who can speak up for you’ and defend this country’s interests, he said.
‘We’re coming out of the EU but under these proposals we would still be run by the EU so that is a real defect,’ he added. ‘The same goes for the trade policy and everything else. I don’t want to face that choice. What we should be going for is the kind of global Brexit I have advocated.’
The developments came as pharmacists warned yesterday that shortages of key medicines are already hitting patients because some are stockpiling pills before Brexit.
Blood pressure drugs, antidepressants and painkillers are on a list of 80 drugs for which the Department of Health has agreed to pay a premium because of supply problems, exacerbated by Brexit fears. In October there were just 45 on the list.
Ash Soni, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said ‘items are out of stock and unavailable – patients are having to wait’. Gareth Jones, of the National Pharmacy Association, said patients are not yet panicking but ‘unconscious stockpiling’ along the supply chain was a significant factor.
Comment – Page 18
‘That is a real defect’