May desperate to convince MPs over Brexit

Theresa May is making a final bid to save her Brexit deal ahead of a crunch Commons vote. Battling a sore throat after late night talks with the EU, the prime minister urged MPs to back her "improved deal" or risk "no Brexit at all". But a key group of Tory Brexiteers and the DUP, who keep her government in power, have both rejected the deal. They say the legal assurances secured by the PM are not enough to prevent the UK being tied permanently to the EU.

In a statement, the European Research Group - headed by Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg - said: "In the light of our own legal analysis and others we do not recommend accepting the government's motion today."

Charles Walker, vice chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, said defeat for the government in the vote later would lead to a general election. He told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "If it doesn't go through tonight, as sure as night follows day, there will be a general election within a matter of days or weeks.

"It is not sustainable, the current situation in Parliament."

It comes after Attorney General Geoffrey Cox told MPs the legal risk of being tied to the EU after Brexit "remains unchanged".

He added that the new assurances secured by the PM did "reduce the risk that the United Kingdom could be indefinitely and involuntarily detained" in the Irish backstop if talks on the two sides future relationship broke down due to "bad faith" by the EU

He defined "bad faith" as a "pattern of refusing to accept reasonable proposals" on the Irish backstop.

But he said the question of whether a satisfactory post-Brexit deal on a permanent trading relationship can be reached remained "a political judgment" - and he said MPs should back the PM's deal.

In his advice, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said "the legal risk remains unchanged" that if a post-Brexit trade agreement can not be reached due to "intractable differences", the UK would have "no internationally lawful means" of

leaving the backstop without EU agreement. In a statement to the Commons, Mr Cox later said: “Were such a situation to occur, let me make it clear, the legal risk as I set it out in my letter of November 13 remains unchanged.”

The last time Mrs May’s withdrawal agreement was put to Parliament in January, it was voted down by a margin of 230.

The BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it would be a “political miracle of historic proportions” if Mrs May could overturn such a heavy defeat.

Mrs May earlier addressed a meeting of Conservative MPs, in an effort to change the minds of those opposed to her deal.

Conservative MPs leaving the meeting suggested half of those who voted against deal last time will switch to support it later, said BBC’s Chief Political Correspondent Vicky Young.

Former minister Grant Shapps said the vote would be close and Mrs May “needed the DUP” to back her deal.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she believed the prime minister’s deal would go through “otherwise instability will follow which would be so unwelcome”.

Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: “The government’s strategy is now in tatters.”

Documents were agreed after Mrs May flew to the European Parliament with Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay for last-minute talks with Mr Juncker and EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Many MPs fear the backstop, initially agreed by the UK government in December 2017, would keep the country in a customs arrangement with the EU indefinitely.

The PM has claimed the new documents addresses this issue and urged MPs to back the “improved deal”.

And leading Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve, a former attorney general, said the UK would still not be able to terminate the backstop at a time of its own choosing.

The UK is set to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 after voting to leave by nearly 52% to 48% - 17.4m votes to 16.1m - in 2016.

Mr Juncker has warned MPs they would be putting everything at risk if they voted down the deal.

“In politics sometimes you get a second chance,” he said. “It is what we do with that second chance that counts. There will be no third chance.”

The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the new agreements showed both sides’ “good faith” - although he made clear they did “not undermine” the principle of the backstop or how it might come into force.

 

May desperate to convince MPs over Brexit

Theresa May is making a final bid to save her Brexit deal ahead of a crunch Commons vote. Battling a sore throat after late night talks with the EU, the prime minister urged MPs to back her improved deal or risk no Brexit at all. But a key group of Tory Brexiteers and the DUP, who keep her government in power, have both rejected the deal. They say the legal assurances secured by the PM are not enough to prevent the UK being tied permanently to the EU. In a statement, the European Research Group - headed by Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg - said: In the light of our own legal analysis and others we do not recommend accepting the governments motion today. Charles Walker, vice chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, said defeat for the government in the vote later would lead to a general election. He told BBC Radio 4s World At One: If it doesnt go through tonight, as sure as night follows day, there will be a general election within a matter of days or weeks. It is not sustainable, the current situation in Parliament. It comes after Attorney General Geoffrey Cox told MPs the legal risk of being tied to the EU after Brexit remains unchanged. He added that the new assurances secured by the PM did reduce the risk that the United Kingdom could be indefinitely and involuntarily detained in the Irish backstop if talks on the two sides future relationship broke down due to bad faith by the EU He defined bad faith as a pattern of refusing to accept reasonable proposals on the Irish backstop. But he said the question of whether a satisfactory post-Brexit deal on a permanent trading relationship can be reached remained a political judgment - and he said MPs should back the PMs deal. In his advice, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said the legal risk remains unchanged that if a post-Brexit trade agreement can not be reached due to intractable differences, the UK would have no internationally lawful means of leaving the backstop without EU agreement. In a statement to the Commons, Mr Cox later said: Were such a situation to occur, let me make it clear, the legal risk as I set it out in my letter of November 13 remains unchanged. The last time Mrs Mays withdrawal agreement was put to Parliament in January, it was voted down by a margin of 230. The BBCs political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it would be a political miracle of historic proportions if Mrs May could overturn such a heavy defeat. Mrs May earlier addressed a meeting of Conservative MPs, in an effort to change the minds of those opposed to her deal. Conservative MPs leaving the meeting suggested half of those who voted against deal last time will switch to support it later, said BBCs Chief Political Correspondent Vicky Young. Former minister Grant Shapps said the vote would be close and Mrs May needed the DUP to back her deal. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she believed the prime ministers deal would go through otherwise instability will follow which would be so unwelcome. Labours Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: The governments strategy is now in tatters. Documents were agreed after Mrs May flew to the European Parliament with Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay for last-minute talks with Mr Juncker and EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Many MPs fear the backstop, initially agreed by the UK government in December 2017, would keep the country in a customs arrangement with the EU indefinitely. The PM has claimed the new documents addresses this issue and urged MPs to back the improved deal. And leading Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve, a former attorney general, said the UK would still not be able to terminate the backstop at a time of its own choosing. The UK is set to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 after voting to leave by nearly 52% to 48% - 17.4m votes to 16.1m - in 2016. Mr Juncker has warned MPs they would be putting everything at risk if they voted down the deal. In politics sometimes you get a second chance, he said. It is what we do with that second chance that counts. There will be no third chance. The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the new agreements showed both sides good faith - although he made clear they did not undermine the principle of the backstop or how it might come into force.