May faces mass resignations: Twenty ministers ‘threaten to QUIT’ if she tries to block bid by Remainer rebels to rule out a no-deal Brexit – as she launches cross-party talks to break deadlock
Tory Brexiteers including left to right Owen Paterson
Theresa May is facing a slew of resignations if she tries to block MPs from ruling out no-deal Brexit – as she launches a scramble to break the Commons deadlock.
The PM and her Cabinet have been holding a frantic round of cross-party meetings after she held out an olive branch following a failed Labour bid to oust her.
Tory Eurosceptics including David Davis, DUP leader Arlene Foster, and Green MP Caroline Lucas were among the key players spotted out and about in Whitehall today as efforts to forge consensus are ramped up.
However, Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon have caused fury by flatly rejecting the overture, insisting they will not talk until the government rules out leaving the EU without a deal. Mrs May has said the option must stay on the table, and dismissed calls to delay the exit date from March.
But it has emerged she could face a major uprising within government over a bid by Tory MP Nick Boles to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Boles is tabling an amendment that would empower backbenchers to push through legislation extending the Article 50 process by nine months – effectively avoiding a cliff edge.
He told the Evening Standard that around 20 ministers are ready to resign if Chief Whip Julian Smith tries to order them to oppose the amendment, which would be considered alongside Mrs May’s ‘Plan B’ on January 29.
A number of Cabinet members are also said to have vowed that they will not oppose the mechanism. Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested he supported the idea in a conference call with business leaders this week.
