The European Union would be ready to “take another look” at re-opening negotiations if there was a change in Prime Minister, claimed a former EU negotiator. Sir Michael Leigh believes another Prime Minister could take a “fresh look” at Theresa May’s red lines and provide more “scope” for negotiation. Sir Leigh told Sky News: “If there is a change of Prime Minister or if there’ a change of position, it’s not simply a matter down to the person, it’s a question of the position of the Government. If a new Prime Minister were to take a fresh look at Theresa May’s red lines and were to say that after all not all these red lines were dictated by the referendum and a new Prime Minister were prepared to take another look and this implied re-opening negotiations.

“Then on that basis I think the EU would be ready to take another look. It’s simply been until now that those red lines were announced so clearly at the beginning, that there’s almost no scope to negotiate other solutions.”

Referring to current negotiations, the senior fellow warned: “One mistake I think Theresa May should not make now is to believe that if she lets it go down to the wire once again, and there’s no clear position from the UK until April 12 then the EU will budge at the last minute.

“I do not think it will budge on the European Parliament issue, this is the treaty, this is the law, this is the right of every citizen of the EU to express themselves democratically.

“I do not think they will budge either on re-opening the agreement that she has concluded.”

There’s almost no scope to negotiate other solutions

Michael Leigh

Brexiteer heavyweights Boris Johnson, Steve Barclay, Dominic Raab, Iain Duncan Smith, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Steve Baker and David Davis laid down the gauntlet at the Prime Minister’s country retreat yesterday during three hours of “frank” talks.

Mrs May ordered the Brexiteers to support her deal or risk a soft Brexit or not leaving the EU at all the day after more than one million people descended on London demanding a second referendum.

But Tory MPs are openly plotting to oust Mrs May, saying she should name her departure date in order to receive their backing for the Withdrawal Agreement.

Cabinet Brexiter Liam Fox has questioned whether Theresa May setting a departure date would be enough amid mounting calls to quit from her own MPs.

He said: “I don’t know what any numbers would be that my colleagues in the whips office or elsewhere would say.

“I think there is a lot of supposition in this.”

The International Trade Secretary added he felt the Prime Minister is respected by voters across the country, saying: “What I was finding from real voters was people spontaneously saying ‘I don’t understand how Theresa May puts up with the pressure, she is a great public servant, her resilience is amazing’,” Dr Fox told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“There seems to me to be a bigger disconnect now between Westminster and what is happening out in the country than ever before.”

Mr Fox added the government would only bring a third meaningful vote “if we think we can win it” and Tory Eurosceptics must accept that MPs would block a no-deal Brexit in Parliament.

He said: “For a lot of my colleagues, I think they still believe there is a route to no deal. I have come to the conclusion some time ago that was unlikely given the House of Commons that we have.

“I think we will see today that there is a mood in the House of Commons to stop us leaving without a deal, even if that means no Brexit. I think that is a constitutionally disastrous position.”

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