Wednesday 16 January 2019

PM comes out fighting and warns Corbyn will wreck economy

Theresa May today warned that Jeremy Corbyn would crash the economy if he ever wins power - as she battles for her political life.

Mrs May launched a furious attack on the Labour leader in brutal clashes at PMQs ahead of a no-confidence vote tonight.

But despite suffering a massive Commons defeat on her Brexit deal last night, Mrs May flatly ruled out revoking the Article 50 process - and insisted she was still determined tor respect the result of the 2016 referendum.  

The defiant stance came as the EU and Remainer MPs heaped pressure on Mrs May to change tack, with calls for another national vote and Michel Barnier urging her to drop 'red lines'. 


The call for softer Brexit came amid mounting splits in the Cabinet over what to do in the wake of the catastrophic failure in Parliament last night.


Justice Secretary David Gauke appeared to contradict Mrs May this afternoon by hinting that the government could back a permanent customs union with the EU. He said it was no longer possible for ministers to 'box ourselves in'.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom, a leading Eurosceptic, insisted this morning that the Brexit date must not be delayed beyond the end of March. But Chancellor Philip Hammond is said to have suggested to business leaders in a phone call last night that Article 50 would be extended and the government was entering a 'new era' in its approach.  

The PM has been left scrambling to find a way forward after suffering the biggest Commons loss ever for a government, with an extraordinary 118 Tories rebelling against the plan. 

Mrs May's escape routes appear to be closing, with the EU signalling a tough line. The bloc's chief negotiator Michel Barnier goaded the premier by demanding she respond by abandoning her long-standing negotiation positions, such as ending free movement, ruling out a permanent customs union, and ending the jurisdiction of EU law. 

While saying he was 'sad' the deal had been rejected, Mr Barnier suggested the defeat was an 'opportunity' to stay more closely aligned with the EU.  





MailOnline

No comments:

Post a Comment