Eurosceptics dismiss May plan as ‘madness’

Prime Minister braced for defeat in the Commons as critics accuse her of ruling out a no-deal exit from EU

THERESA MAY is braced for another damaging defeat in the Commons today after Tory Eurosceptics accused her of ruling out a no-deal Brexit.

The European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers described her position as “madness”. Senior sources within the group said members would abstain. With Labour expected to vote against, it means yet another Brexit defeat for the Prime Minister, just 43 days before Britain is due to leave the EU.

Although the result is symbolic, a defeat would be a setback for Mrs May as she tries to persuade Brussels to change the Brexit deal. Yesterday Donald Tusk, the European Council president, hinted negotiations were going nowhere.

He said: “No news is not always good news. EU27 is still waiting for concrete, realistic proposals from London on how to break the Brexit impasse.”

Mrs May appeared to have seen off a “Valentine’s Day massacre” by appealing to MPS for more time to negotiate a better deal, offering them a chance to debate the progress of Brexit on Feb 27.

As a result, today’s debate had been expected to pass without incident. MPS had expected the Government to table a so-called neutral motion – one that merely acknowledged that Parliament had debated Brexit.

But Eurosceptics are unhappy that the Government is proposing a motion that “reiterates its support for the approach to leaving the EU” expressed by MPS in a vote on Jan 29, when Parliament backed an amendment tabled by Tory MP Caroline Spelman calling for a no-deal Brexit to be ruled out. They believe that effectively means Mrs May has herself ruled out no deal.

Mark Francois, deputy chairman of the ERG, said: “We cannot vote for this as it rules out no deal and removes our negotiating leverage in Brussels.

“The Prime Minister, if she went through the lobbies for this tomorrow night, would be voting against the guarantees she has given in the Commons for months. It is madness.”

Five amendments to the main government motion have been tabled. The Speaker, John Bercow, will choose which are put to a vote this evening. Labour is calling for a second “meaningful vote” to be held by the end of February; Ken Clarke, the former Tory chancellor, wants Parliament to vote on a series of options on the way forward; the SNP’S Angus Macneil wants Article 50 revoked; Tory rebel Anna Soubry is demanding the release of nodeal impact assessments, and Labour’s Roger Godsiff wants to extend Article 50 and hold a second referendum.

None is expected to pass, but the main government motion is likely to be put to a vote, which will go against Mrs May if the ERG abstains and Labour votes against. Yesterday Downing Street denied that Mrs May had secretly taken no deal off the table after Olly Robbins, the Prime Minister’s chief Brexit negotiator, was overheard in a Brussels bar saying MPS would be offered a choice between Mrs May’s deal or an extension to Article 50.

♦ Ferries will not be used to carry food into the UK if Britain leaves without an agreement, senior civil servants have suggested, as the focus would be on importing medical supplies.