No 10 begs leadership rivals to lay down arms
...at least one Tory’s popular!
DOWNING Street is urging Tory leadership rivals to stop jostling to succeed Theresa May until the Prime Minister has secured Commons approval for her Brexit deal.
Chief Whip Julian Smith is begging the main contenders to ‘lay down their arms’ in the national interest and concentrate instead on persuading diehard Brexit ‘Spartans’ to back Mrs May’s deal – and avert the humiliation of being forced to contest the European elections next month.
Mr Smith, who has arranged a series of one-to-one meetings with the contenders over the coming days, is prioritising Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who he believes stand the best chance of persuading the ‘Spartans’ to drop their opposition.
Others include Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who supported Remain in 2016 but now back Brexit.
It is understood Mr Smith has already met Mr Johnson, who has abandoned his long-standing opposition to the deal, to plead with him to do ‘everything in his power’ to convert the opponents.
The former Foreign Secretary was canvassing for the Tories in the West Midlands yesterday – and managed to find time to pose for photos with supporters.
A senior Government source said: ‘Julian does not think that now is an appropriate time for the rivals to be eyeing the prize.
‘ The party is facing complete wipeout in the European elections and it is in everyone’s interests to stop this happening. There will be plenty of opportunity to go on the hustings after that.’ Downing Street aides are also urging all Ministers and MPs to avoid the airwaves to ‘bang on about Brexit’ in the next four days – or face being blamed for worsening an expected local elections drubbing on Thursday.
A No 10 source said: ‘Word has gone out to shut up for a few days. There is a direct correlation between us arguing on television and people getting fed up, so we are hoping to avoid that on the eve of the polls.’ However, Brexit hostilities are expected to resume on the Government benches in the vital three weeks between local polls and European elections on May 23.
Downing Street insiders have nicknamed this period the ‘death zone’ amid fears it could see a major attempt to oust Mrs May.
No 10 was shaken by last week’s Mail on Sunday poll of Tory councillors, which revealed that 40 per cent were planning to vote for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party. A subsequent poll of Tory members put the figure even higher – at three out of five.
Mrs May’s aides are now planning to lay Brexit legislation before the Commons in the three weeks before May 23 in a last-ditch attempt to get her deal over the line.
They hope that it will focus MPs’ minds on the consequences of not passing a deal – and dare them to vote against legislation that would allow Brexit to take place without delay.
But Downing Street has conceded it will not be possible to complete the exit legislation before the crucial cut-off date of May 22 for the UK to avoid taking part in the £100 million European elections.
‘In all likelihood we will now end up fighting the Euros, but the new goal is to make sure anyone elected never takes their seat,’ said one senior ally of the Prime Minister.
But a former Cabinet Minister told The Mail on Sunday last night: ‘It’s absurd we are fighting these elections and it’s why there is no trust any more. I am fed up with giving her chances to try to save herself. It is absolutely absurd she is simply ignoring every lifeline.
‘If she wants to stay in office she’s got to go back to Brussels and start again, or move aside for someone who will.’