Brexiteers warn May they will crush her divorce plan AGAIN and push Britain to a no deal next week as Attorney General Geoffrey Cox returns from ‘robust’ talks in Brussels with NO backstop solution
Theresa May pictured today at PMQs begged MPs to support her Brexit deal today as she seized on Ash Wednesday
Brexiteers warned Theresa May they remain ready to crush her Brexit deal for a second time next week as the Attorney General returns from Brussels empty handed.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the hardline Tory European Research Group, said Mrs May should ignore any Commons vote to block no deal.
His deputy Steve Baker warned even if AG Geoffrey Cox can resolve the backstop it is only the ‘worst problem in this terrible Brexit deal’.
Mrs May pleaded with MPs to back her deal at PMQs today ahead of a showdown vote on her deal on Tuesday. If MPs refuse to back it, they will vote on no deal on Wednesday and to delay Brexit on Thursday.
Mr Cox returned from Brussels this morning admitting last night’s talks with the EU’s negotiator Michel Barnier had been ‘robust’ – code for a furious row.
Downing Street admitted talks on re-writing the border backstop had been ‘difficult’.
The EU said today there was currently ‘no solution’ to the impasse, which has left the deal deadlocked since it was first defeated by MPs by 230 votes on January 15.
The Government must be able to show Parliament a new version of the deal by Monday morning to hold a vote on Tuesday evening – meaning Sunday night or the early hour of Monday are a hard deadline for securing concessions.
If there is an agreement on new guarantees about the backstop, Mrs May could travel to Brussels on Sunday to sign off on the plans.
Northern Ireland faces harsh no deal impact, official warns
A no-deal Brexit could cause a sharp rise in unemployment in Northern Ireland, the head of the civil service said.
Inability to prepare, EU tariffs and significant changes to exports could cause business distress, failure or the relocation of some companies to the Republic, a report from David Sterling said.
The UK will leave the EU without a deal later this month unless MPs support the Prime Minister’s deal or Britain secures an extension from the EU.
Mr Sterling said: ‘The consequences of material business failure as a result of a ‘no-deal’ exit, combined with changes to everyday life and potential border frictions could well have a profound and long-lasting impact on society.
‘The planning assumptions include the possibility that, in some scenarios, a no-deal exit could result in additional challenges for the police if the approach appeared to be unfair or unreasonable for some of those most affected.’
Writing in the Sun, Mr Rees-Mogg said: ‘Eurosceptics must similarly be guided by the electorate — it is our duty and obligation to those who trusted that the vote in 2016 would be decisive and would be implemented.
‘This makes it necessary to vote against the current deal as well as efforts to move the date beyond March 29.
‘The people have spoken. The case ought to be concluded. Let’s have lift-off.’
Mr Wilson told the Commons Northern Ireland Committee today: ‘If we finish up with a No Deal it will be as a result of the intransigence of the EU.’
Mr Baker told the Sun: ‘The backstop is only the worst problem in this terrible Brexit deal.’
Mrs May responded to a joke about Easter at PMQs to plead for MPs support, telling Tory Simon Hoare: ‘Of course across this House, we would all be able to give up being a member of the European Union on the 29th March (if we vote for the deal.’
As he boarded a train home today, Mr Cox told Sky News they were ‘very sensitive discussions’.
He said: ‘We are into the meat of the matter now. We have put forward some proposals, very reasonable proposals, and we are into the detail of discussions.’
