Theresa May faced mounting Cabinet gloom today as she launched a desperate two-week bid to save her Brexit deal.
The PM briefed ministers on the dramatic developments in Brussels over the weekend - and how she hopes to win over mutinous MPs to her plan.
Downing Street wants to stage a huge PR drive to force the agreement through Parliament in a crunch vote next month.
There are claims the highlight of the campaign could be a TV showdown with Jeremy Corbyn.
But Brexiteer Cabinet ministers are still deeply unhappy with package - with Andrea Leadsom and Penny Mordaunt among those on 'resignation watch'.
They remained stubbornly silent yesterday while other colleagues voiced support for the deal.
Other ministers are said to have formed an alliance to push for a Norway-style relationship with the EU if Mrs May's deal falls in the face of massive opposition from scores of Tories, Labour, the SNP and Lib Dems.
Even supportive ministers are in despair at the situation, with one senior source telling MailOnline they feared the Tories were about to experience a 'nuclear meltdown' that could rip the party to shreds.
The PM (pictured in Downing Street today) is briefing ministers on the dramatic developments in Brussels over the weekend - and how she hopes to win over mutinous MPs to her plan
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom (pictured left) and Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt (right) are among those on 'resignation watch' after failing to back Mrs May's deal publicly
Following the Cabinet meeting this morning, Mrs May will come to the Commons to reiterate her warning that failing to back her plan risks causing chaos.
She will point out that EU leaders have made it clear the settlement is not up for renegotiation, even if there is a change of government.
Mrs May will tell the Commons 'with absolute certainty' that 'there is not a better deal available'.
Rejecting her deal will 'open the door to more division and uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail', she is expected to say.
But senior Brexiteers ridiculed her chances of getting the package through parliament - saying it was already 'dead'.
More than 90 Tories have publicly committed to opposing the deal, and one jibed that the whips 'don't have enough thumbscrews' to turn the tide.
Another MP pointed out that at least two whips were likely to vote against.
EU leaders signing off the agreement in less than 40 minutes at a summit yesterday has paved the way for a titanic showdown in Parliament.
The clash is expected to happen on December 12 - and could define the fate of the country as well as Mrs May.
She has already started a campaign of selling her deal directly to the public in the hope they will put pressure on MPs.
Downing Street refused to confirm or deny reports that Mrs May is keen on the TV showdown with Mr Corbyn, which some allies believe would allow her to display her superior mastery of the detail.
The Labour leader has condemned Mrs May's agreement as 'a miserable failure of negotiation'.
He claimed his party would 'work with others to block a no-deal outcome', advancing its own 'sensible' deal as an alternative.
But critics point out that Mr Corbyn's favoured position is similar to the Irish border 'backstop' arrangements hammered out by Mrs May, and the EU has already insisted it would not offer a different UK government a better settlement.
A spokesman for the Labour leader said: 'Jeremy would relish a head-to-head debate with Theresa May about her botched Brexit deal and the future of our country.'
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay today admitted it will be a 'challenge' to get the deal with the EU through Parliament.
In her Commons statement the PM will say: 'Our duty as a Parliament over these coming weeks is to examine this deal in detail, to debate it respectfully, to listen to our constituents and decide what is in our national interest.
'There is a choice which MPs will have to make. We can back this deal, deliver on the vote of the referendum and move on to building a brighter future of opportunity and prosperity for all our people.
'Or this House can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one ... It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail.'
She will say that 'the national interest is clear' and 'the British people want us to get on with a deal that honours the referendum'.
Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pictured at No10 today, has been publicly supportive of the PM's Brexit package
Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd are also tied into the premier's Brexit strategy
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) could face off in a TV debate as the focal point of an 'election style' campaign on the Brexit deal
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson branded the Prime Minister's deal a 'disaster' and a 'humiliation' for the UK.
In his regular Daily Telegraph column, he said: 'The other EU countries have signed the deal immediately, because they know that they have us exactly where they want us.
'We are a satellite state - a memento mori fixed on the walls of Brussels as a ghastly gaping warning to all who try to escape.'
More than 80 Tories have rejected the deal, with opposition parties - and Mrs May's allies in the DUP - also set to oppose it.
Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said the country should not be 'frightened' of a no-deal Brexit if Mrs May's deal is rejected.
Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteers, said the EU thought they had 'won the lottery' and repeated calls for Mrs May to be replaced.
He told LBC radio: 'These scare stories are absurd. We are not going to run out of clean drinking water.
'We managed to have clean drinking water long before a very large number of continental European countries, it is something we have been quite good at since the 19th century.
'We are going to get more of these scare stories but we need to make preparations, particularly to alleviate any problems around the Dover-Calais route.'
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, deputy DUP leader Nigel Dodds demanded the Government go back to the negotiating table 'rather than waste any more time putting forward false choices'.
'We are heading under this deal for Brexit in name only or the break-up of the United Kingdom,' he warned.
'The tragedy is that it is all so utterly unnecessary.'
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt insisted Mrs May could carry on as Prime Minister if she was defeated.
'Absolutely she can,' he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.
Pressed on whether the Government could collapse, he acknowledged: 'It's not possible to rule out anything.'
Mr Corbyn said the deal 'is the result of a miserable failure of negotiation that leaves us with the worst of all worlds'.
At a press conference in Brussels, Mrs May refused to be drawn on whether she would stand down if she lost the vote, despite being repeatedly pressed on the subject.
'I am focusing on ensuring that I make a case for this deal to MPs,' she said.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker led the warnings there could be no return to the negotiating table if the deal - comprising the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration of future EU-UK relations - was rejected.
'This is the deal. It's the best deal possible and the EU will not change its fundamental position when it comes to these issues,' he said.
'Those who think by rejecting the deal that they would have a better deal will be disappointed in the first seconds after the rejection of this deal.'
Irish premier Leo Varadkar said: 'There isn't a plan B. What's being put in front of EU Parliament and House of Commons is a deal.
'Any other deal really only exists in people's imagination.'
Is May's deal already sunk? Eighty nine Tories have already come out against it meaning she must find more than 90 votes from Brexiteer rebels, DUP and Labour to get it through the Commons
Theresa May has secured her deal in Brussels but her fight to get it actually in place in time for Brexit day is just beginning.
The 'meaningful vote' promised to MPs is expected to happen in early December and is the single biggest hurdle to the Brexit deal happening - and Mrs May' fate as PM.
Mrs May needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
The number is less than half because the four Speakers, 7 Sinn Fein MPs and four tellers will not take part.
The situation looks grim for Mrs May and her whips: now the deal has been published, 89 of her own MPs and the 10 DUP MPs have publicly stated they will join the Opposition parties in voting No.
This means the PM could have as few as 225 votes in her corner - leaving 410 votes on the other side, a landslide majority 185.
This is how the House of Commons might break down:
Mrs May needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
Mrs May needs at least 318 votes in the Commons if all 650 MPs turns up - but can probably only be confident of around 230 votes.
The Government (plus various hangers-on)
Who are they: All members of the Government are the so-called 'payroll' vote and are obliged to follow the whips orders or resign. It includes the Cabinet, all junior ministers, the whips and unpaid parliamentary aides.
There are also a dozen Tory party 'vice-chairs and 17 MPs appointed by the PM to be 'trade envoys'.
How many of them are there? 178.
What do they want? For the Prime Minister to survive, get her deal and reach exit day with the minimum of fuss.
Many junior ministers want promotion while many of the Cabinet want to be in a position to take the top job when Mrs May goes.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
European Research Group Brexiteers demanding a No Confidence Vote
Who are they: The most hardline of the Brexiteers, they launched a coup against Mrs May after seeing the divorce. Led by Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker.
How many of them are there: 26
What do they want: The removal of Mrs May and a 'proper Brexit'. Probably no deal now, with hopes for a Canada-style deal later.
How will they vote: Against the Prime Minister.
Other Brexiteers in the ERG
Who are they: There is a large block of Brexiteer Tory MPs who hate the deal but have so far stopped short of moving to remove Mrs May - believing that can destroy the deal instead. They include ex Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and ex minister Owen Paterson.
Ex ministers like Boris Johnson and David Davis are also in this group - they probably want to replace Mrs May but have not publicly moved against her.
How many of them are there? Around 50.
What do they want? The ERG has said Mrs May should abandon her plans for a unique trade deal and instead negotiate a 'Canada plus plus plus' deal.
This is based on a trade deal signed between the EU and Canada in August 2014 that eliminated 98 per cent of tariffs and taxes charged on goods shipped across the Atlantic.
The EU has long said it would be happy to do a deal based on Canada - but warn it would only work for Great Britain and not Northern Ireland.
How will they vote: Against the Prime Minister.
Remain including the People's Vote supporters
Who are they: Tory MPs who believe the deal is just not good enough for Britain. They include the group of unrepentant Remainers who want a new referendum like Anna Soubry and ex-ministers who quit over the deal including Jo Johnson and Phillip Lee.
How many of them are there: Maybe around 10.
What do they want? To stop Brexit. Some want a new referendum, some think Parliament should step up and say no.
A new referendum would take about six months from start to finish and they group wants Remain as an option on the ballot paper, probably with Mrs May's deal as the alternative.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister.
Moderates in the Brexit Delivery Group (BDG) and other Loyalists
Who are they? A newer group, the BDG counts members from across the Brexit divide inside the Tory Party. It includes former minister Nick Boles and MPs including Remainer Simon Hart and Brexiteer Andrew Percy.
There are also lots of unaligned Tory MPs who are desperate to talk about anything else.
How many of them are there? Based on public declarations, about 48 MPs have either said nothing or backed the deal.
What do they want? The BDG prioritises delivering on Brexit and getting to exit day on March 29, 2019, without destroying the Tory Party or the Government. If the PM gets a deal the group will probably vote for it.
It is less interested in the exact form of the deal but many in it have said Mrs May's Chequers plan will not work.
Mr Boles has set out a proposal for Britain to stay in the European Economic Area (EEA) until a free trade deal be negotiated - effectively to leave the EU but stay in close orbit as a member of the single market.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
The DUP
Who are they? The Northern Ireland Party signed up to a 'confidence and supply' agreement with the Conservative Party to prop up the Government.
They are Unionist and say Brexit is good but must not carve Northern Ireland out of the Union.
How many of them are there? 10.
What do they want? A Brexit deal that protects Northern Ireland inside the UK.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister on the grounds they believe the deal breaches the red line of a border in the Irish Sea.
Labour Loyalists
Who are they? Labour MPs who are loyal to Jeremy Corbyn and willing to follow his whipping orders.
How many of them are there? Up to 250 MPs depending on exactly what Mr Corbyn orders them to do.
What do they want? Labour policy is to demand a general election and if the Government refuses, 'all options are on the table', including a second referendum.
Labour insists it wants a 'jobs first Brexit' that includes a permanent customs union with the EU. It says it is ready to restart negotiations with the EU with a short extension to the Article 50 process.
The party says Mrs May's deal fails its six tests for being acceptable.
How will they vote? Against the Prime Minister's current deal.
Labour Rebels
Who are they? A mix of MPs totally opposed to Mr Corbyn's leadership, some Labour Leave supporters who want a deal and some MPs who think any deal will do at this point.
How many of them are there? Maybe 10 to 20 MPs but this group is diminishing fast - at least for the first vote on the deal.
What do they want? An orderly Brexit and to spite Mr Corbyn.
How will they vote? With the Prime Minister.
Other Opposition parties
Who are they? The SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Green Caroline Lucas and assorted independents.
How many of them are there? About 60 MPs.
How will they vote? Mostly against the Prime Minister - though two of the independents are suspended Tories and two are Brexiteer former Labour MPs.
Linkhienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/26/may-gathers-cabinet-as-she-plots-two-week-blitz-to-sell-her-eu-deal/
Main photo article Theresa May faced mounting Cabinet gloom today as she launched a desperate two-week bid to save her Brexit deal.
The PM briefed ministers on the dramatic developments in Brussels over the weekend – and how she hopes to win over mutinous MPs to her plan.
Downing Street wants to stage a huge ...
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
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/26/10/6646784-6429053-image-a-33_1543229061121.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий