Politics

Brexit news latest: Tory rebels plotting to block no-deal insist they’re not backing down despite PM’s talks with EU leaders



A rebellion to block a no-deal Brexit in Parliament will go ahead next month, one of the chief architects of the cross-party bid revealed today.

Dominic Grieve told the Evening Standard that Boris Johnson’s talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron had failed to produce assurances that a deal would be struck to prevent Britain crashing out of the European Union on October 31.

“I don’t think anything that has come out of the meetings in Germany and France is going to alter the determination of colleagues on a cross-party basis to make sure no-deal Brexit does not happen,” he said.

The Prime Minister also faces a separate rebellion from Tory Right-wingers, who said stripping out the Irish border backstop would not stop them voting against any attempt by him to revive the withdrawal agreement that was signed by EU leaders and ex-premier Theresa May.

Former Cabinet minister John Redwood, a supporter of the European Research Group, said: “There are many bad features of the current withdrawal treaty.”

Dominic Grieve said Mr Johnson’s talks failed to provide assurances over a no-deal Brexit (Reuters)

The discontent among MPs poured cold water over headlines in some newspapers suggesting Mr Johnson was on the verge of a breakthrough after being given a 30-day window to come up with a workable alternative to the backstop.  No 10 sources told the Standard that, while pleased with the talks in Paris and Berlin, talk of a breakthrough was premature. “Too much faith has been put in to there being some sort of last-minute intervention,” a source said. “It’s a good start and it has opened the possibility of discussing these ideas, but there is still a lot of work to be done.”  

A senior No 10 source hit out at the rebels, accusing them of undermining the Prime Minister’s negotiating hand ahead of the final EU summit Brussels in October before Brexit is due.

“It is clear from events that October 17 is the best chance to secure a deal,” the source said. 

“Grieve and Co need to explain why the first thing they have done in reaction to the small bit of progress  we may have made is to do their best to undermine it.”

Several potential Tory rebels said privately they feel they cannot now back a no-confidence motion in the Government during September because talks with Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron will be ongoing.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, talks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson (AP)

A spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would put down a confidence motion “when we think it’s got the best chance of success”.  

In another sign that Mr Johnson is gearing up for an early general election, he was today visiting the South West to promote the Tory candidate in Totnes who will try to win back the seat from former Conservative Sarah Wollaston who defected over Brexit.

The Standard has learned that Conservative Campaign Headquarters has written to a string of marginal seats where MPs are retiring, ordering them to fast-track the selection of new candidates, with a deadline for applications of September 3.

Tory former minister Tobias Ellwood said he felt more optimistic about getting an 11th-hour deal with the EU following the Prime Minister’s meetings with the German chancellor and French president.

He told BBC Newsnight it was a “gamechanger” that both Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel have shown flexibility in the face of “a determined Prime Minister”.

However, senior EU politicians said that British MPs were under a misapprehension. German politician Norbert Röttgen said on Twitter: “The Brexit process is, among other things, characterised by mutual misunderstanding, based on deep sympathy between Germany and the UK. 

“Germans cannot imagine that Brexit will happen, whereas British feel that Germany will not leave UK hanging  and that there will be compromise in the end.”

ERG supporters made clear they would not settle for a compromise on the backstop. David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, told the Daily Telegraph’s Brexit podcast he had a “shopping list” of demands in addition to ending the backstop.



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