THERESA May will travel to Brussels again this week for more talks with the European President Jean-Claude Juncker days after suffering a further defeat in the Commons over her Brexit strategy.
Over the weekend the Prime Minister issued a desperate plea to Tory MPs to unite behind her, urging them to “move beyond what divides us” and sacrifice “personal preferences” for the national interest.
In her letter to all 317 Conservative MPs, May said the Valentine’s Day defeat was “disappointing” and she would continue to work to secure changes to the Irish backstop.
The backstop is a safety net which would keep an open border on the island whatever the Brexit outcome. It would involve aligning the UK to EU rules post-Brexit and by doing so would stop the UK from striking its own international trade deals.
It is strongly opposed by Brexiteers, but the EU has said they will not offer any legal binding changes to it as their priority is ensuring there is no return to a hard border.
Meanwhile, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay will meet the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier tomorrow to discuss the proposals of the Alternative Arrangements Working Group of Tories, who have been seeking a compromise solution to avoid the need for backstop.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox will set out what changes he believes would be required to eliminate a legal risk of being indefinitely trapped in the backstop in a speech on Tuesday.
In an appeal for unity 41 days before Britain’s scheduled departure from the EU, May said as party leader she had sought to “steer a course that can unite all pragmatic points of view behind a clear and coherent policy” which honours the referendum and leaves the EU with a negotiated deal.
“I do not underestimate how deeply or how sincerely colleagues hold the views which they do on this important issue – or that we are all motivated by a common desire to do what is best for our country, even if we disagree on the means of doing so,” she said in her letter to MPs.
“But I believe that a failure to make the compromises necessary to reach and take through Parliament a Withdrawal Agreement which delivers on the result of the referendum will let down the people who sent us to represent them and risk the bright future that they all deserve.”
She reiterated that without a deal the UK risks a “combination forming in Parliament that will stop Brexit altogether, whatever the long-term consequences for trust in our democracy”.
It was confirmed last week Labour will back a cross-party plan from backbencher Yvette Cooper – expected to go to a vote on February 27 – which would force the government to conclude its deal by March 13 or allow MPs to vote on no-deal or a second referendum.
Meanwhile, it emerged that former Brexit minister Steve Baker, deputy leader of the European Research Group, told colleagues May’s talks with Brussels were a “complete waste of time”, while CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn warned in the Sunday Times that the UK risks “slipping into an economic crisis” unless a no-deal Brexit is stopped.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel