PM’s last ditch dash to Brussels to save deal
THERESA MAY was last night ‘wargaming’ a plan to cancel this week’s Commons vote on Brexit and make a desperate dash to Brussels to seek further concessions from the European Union.
The Mail on Sunday understands the EU is prepared to offer Britain a six-week extension to the twoyear Article 50 exit process. But senior Eurocrats have warned Downing Street there is ‘ zero chance’ of reopening the text of the Withdrawal Agreement.
No 10 is instead focusing on seeking additional legally binding protocols to try to water down the hated Northern Irish backstop.
After a furious backlash from her Cabinet and her aides, the Prime Minister is considering her options and how they might play out.
One scenario is to call off the Commons vote on her deal planned for Tuesday, and travel to Brussels on that day. There she would warn the EU that their current deal would not get through Parliament and seek more concessions.
Last night, one May ally said: ‘Losing the vote is a terrible look and pulling it is a terrible look, there is no denying that. Either way she is going back to Brussels.’
However, pulling the vote would remove the risk of Opposition amendments allowing Parliament to seize control of negotiations, plunging the Christmas period into chaos and raising the prospect of a second referendum.
Diplomatic sources in Brussels told this newspaper that the aptly named EU Council legal boss, Hubert Legal, has drawn up secret plans to give Britain enough time to hold a second referendum before exit day in March.
Mrs May is due to attend the EU Council in the Belgian capital on Thursday, but aides have warned her that if she goes early without putting the deal to MPs, the EU will not take her seriously.
They say in that case she risks another ‘Salzburg moment’ where EU leaders humiliate her, further endangering her premiership. She was ambushed at an EU summit in the Austrian city in September when other leaders unexpectedly declared that her Brexit proposals would not work.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn is still deciding whether to table a noconfidence motion against the Government should Mrs May loses the key Brexit vote. Labour bosses fear that as Democratic Unionist MPs have said they would not support a no-confidence motion in those circumstances, Labour cannot win it.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We’ll judge when we see what happens on Tuesday.’
However, Labour MPs backing a second referendum are piling pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to go ahead with a no-confidence vote even if it looks set to fail. Because if it does the party will be committed to call for a so-called ‘people’s vote’ as the only way to stop Brexit on Tory terms.
One MP said: ‘If we don’t first try to hold a no-confidence vote and force a General Election – in line with our party conference resolution this year – we’ll never get to the stage where we push for a second referendum. But we’re worried that Corbyn won’t do it because he doesn’t want a referendum in the first place.’
But a source in the Labour leader’s office said: ‘The timing of a no-confidence motion is a tactical decision to best achieve an election so those publicly lobbying for this option or that option aren’t following our policy of strongly preferring a General Election to sort out Brexit.’