The Tory leadership race is heating up and dominating headlines in both the UK and across the EU bloc. Multiple figures from the ten candidates have detailed their personal plans to approach to break the Brexit deadlock stopping the UK Parliament from passing a Brexit deal. But despite the likes of Andrea Leadsom and Jeremy Hunt pledging to re-approach the EU, countries such as Germany have stated they will not be ‘blackmailed” – and that Theresa May’s agreement is the option left for the UK.

Speaking to German newspaper Deutschlandfunk, prominent Tory MP Greg Hands was asked if he thought the EU would move on Theresa May’s previously EU-ratified deal.

Mr Hands said: “Actually it is in the interest of both sides. Not to forget that the interests of Germany, for example, are not necessarily the same as those of Brussels.

“But it is in the interests of both sides to have an agreement.

“An agreement, which actually has to pass through both parliaments, not only the European Parliament, but also the British House of Commons.

“If no agreement passes through the British House of Commons, then there is no agreement, and the dangers of a hard Brexit are there, if there is no agreement.

“That’s why it’s in the interests of both. There will be damage on both sides if it comes to a hard Brexit. Under Boris Johnson, it looks likely right now – I’m against it – that there will be a hard Brexit.

“Boris Johnson is quite ready to leave the European Union without a deal. That means a huge change in British politics that should not be underestimated.”

But the MP for Chelsea and Fulham told the newspaper how he supported Mr Hunt’s pledge to approach the EU to change the terms of Britain’s withdrawal agreement.

Mr Hands said: “Jeremy Hunt would go back to Brussels, and rightly so, in my opinion, because the problem in Britain at the moment is that the agreement that came out of Brussels last November is just too unfavourable for Great Britain.

“That’s why it does not get through the British House of Commons.

“Jeremy Hunt, I think, as the new Prime Minister could not change the whole agreement, but some things that are too unfavourable for Britain in the deal, by talking in Brussels with the individual members, and then we can avoid a hard Brexit.

“This is the plan of Jeremy Hunt.”

Mr Hands was also asked if he thought the Conservative Party was purely driven by the rise of Nigel Farage and the emerging threat of the Brexit Party.

He said: “I do not think so. I think we lost votes on both sides. We lost Leave votes to Nigel Farage and we lost Remain votes to the Liberals.

“I think we need to pull both groups back to the Tories for an upcoming election in the future.

“But the election will not take place this year, probably not next year, probably not until 2021/22.”

Additional reporting by Monika Pallenberg.

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