«Breaking News» Ex chief whip Mark Harper joins the Brexiteer revolt

A former Tory chief whip joined the ranks of Tory MPs vowing to vote down the Brexit deal next week in a fresh blow for Theresa May.

Mark Harper said the Prime Minister should go back to Brussels and say the Irish border backstop is unacceptable.

The MP - who has never rebelled before - brings to around 103 Tory MPs pledged to vote against the deal, enough to consign Mrs May to a humiliating landslide loss.

His announcement underlines how the vote is moving away from Mrs May ahead of Tuesday's vote and the tide is not turning as Downing Street hoped.

Mr Harper told the Today programme: 'If the PM listened to the opinion of Conservative colleagues she would know that her deal will not be voted through next week.' 

Mrs May's ailing hopes of winning the vote on Tuesday took another blow today as former chief whip Mark Harper (file image) joined the ranks of Tory MPs pledged to vote No 

Mr Harper said the PM 'has to go back to Brussels' to demand backstop comes 'out of the deal' to have any hope of survival.

63 minutes of mayhem: how May was defeated three times in an hour

Theresa May suffered the worst day of any Prime Minister in 40 years in the Commons yesterday as MPs inflicted three defeats on her in barely more than an hour.

This is how it unfolded:  

4.41pm: The first vote is announced on the Government's amendment to the contempt motion, attempting to kick it into the long grass. Government loses 311 to 307. 

4.58pm: The main Labour motion declaring the Government to be in contempt of Parliament is announced. Government loses 311 to 293. 

5.44pm: Dominic Grieve's amendment on what happens after the deal is rejected is announced. Government loses 321 to 299. 

5.48pm: Theresa May stands up to make the case for her deal at the Despatch Box.

Explaining his revolt in the Telegraph, Mr Harper said: 'The Cabinet's proposals are not acceptable because they threaten the integrity of our country, keep us trapped indefinitely in a customs union and leave us in a weak negotiating position for our future relationship.' 

He added: 'The EU's proposal would undermine the UK common market and threaten the constitutional integrity of the UK by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish Sea, and no UK Prime Minister could ever agree to it. 

'I'm just very disappointed that as a loyal MP I've found myself in this situation that in order to keep to the promises we made just last year in the general election I've been forced to vote against the cabinet's proposals.

'Keeping promises in politics is important and I think many colleagues also feel they have been misled.'

At least 103 Tory MPs have gone public against Mrs May's deal ahead of the vote next Tuesday night.

With the DUP also pledged to vote against, the Prime Minister is staring down the barrel of a loss by 100 votes or more - far beyond the point many in Westminster think she could have to resign.

Last night, Mrs May tried to keep her plan alive with a rousing speech to the Commons, in which she warned 'Brexit could be stopped' entirely if it is voted down on Tuesday

Last night, Mrs May tried to keep her plan alive with a rousing speech to the Commons, in which she warned 'Brexit could be stopped' entirely if it is voted down on Tuesday.

What new powers do MPs now have? 

Tory rebels led by Dominic Grieve won a major new power for MPs last night.

If and when Theresa May's deal is defeated next week, the Government is required by law to show a plan for what happens next to MPs and hold a vote within 21 days.

This was supposed to be unamendable and a simple statement of what the Prime Minister would do now.

But Mr Grieve and another 25 Tory MPs forced a change in last night's vote.

The next steps motion can now be re-written, meaning a majority of MPs could call for a second referendum or even a total halt to Brexit.

MPs could also order ministers to pursue a Plan B Brexit based on Norway's relationship with the EU - a deal much closer than Mrs May's but which has cross party support. 

The instruction would not be legally binding but would have huge political power.  

She acknowledged criticism of her 'compromise' deal, but said: 'We should not let the search for the perfect Brexit prevent a good Brexit that delivers for the British people.

'And we should not contemplate a course that fails to respect the result of the referendum, because it would decimate the trust of millions of people in our politics for a generation.'

In her speech last night the PM admitted that both Remainers and Brexiteers have been left dissatisfied by parts of her deal. 

But she said the 'hard truth' is that the compromise she has thrashed out with Brussels is the only deal which delivers on the historic vote and protects jobs.

She said: 'I know there are some in this House and in the country who would prefer a closer relationship with the European Union than the one I'm proposing, indeed who would prefer the relationship that we currently have and want another referendum.

'Although I profoundly disagree, they are arguing for what they believe is right for our country and I respect that.

'But the hard truth is that we will not settle this issue and bring our country together that way and I ask them to think what it would say to the 52 per cent who came out to vote Leave, in many cases for the first time in decades, if their decision were ignored.'

The PM added: 'There are others in this House who would prefer a more distant relationship than the one I'm proposing and although I don't agree, I know they're also arguing for what they think is best for our future and I respect that too.' 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/05/ex-chief-whip-mark-harper-joins-the-brexiteer-revolt/
Main photo article A former Tory chief whip joined the ranks of Tory MPs vowing to vote down the Brexit deal next week in a fresh blow for Theresa May.
Mark Harper said the Prime Minister should go back to Brussels and say the Irish border backstop is unacceptable.
The MP – who has never rebelled before...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca





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