Theresa May agonises over whether to pull Tuesday’s Brexit vote to save herself
Theresa May is agonising over whether to pull Tuesday’s big Brexit vote to save her skin.
Or she could charge ahead despite certain defeat and risk her premiership crashing in flames this week.
Although cold-calling is banned in the Berkshire village of Sonning where she lives, the PM is hitting the phones on Sunday, desperately trying to persuade wavering MPs to back her Brexit withdrawal plan.
Labour, SNP, DUP, other opposition MPs and at least 106 Tories are adamant that they will vote against her – and a confidence vote in the Government could follow immediately.
Despite Cabinet ministers and backbench shop steward Sir Graham Brady pleading for delay, Mrs May stubbornly maintains in public that the vote will take place at 8.30pm on Tuesday, even though she will be crucified.
A No 10 source said it is “one hundred per cent certain” the division will go ahead on Tuesday, adding: “We are a hundred per cent focussed on winning it.”
Divisions in the Tory party are already entrenched and MPs refer to each other by the C-word as often as they use Christian names.
The atmosphere in the Commons Tea Room is so toxic, many MPs avoid it.
Brexiteer Tory Andrew Bridgen says party deputy chairman James Cleverly gave him a friendly manhug when they met at London’s Carlton Club last week.
But Mr Bridgen claims witnesses told him later that the moment he popped to the loo, Mr Cleverly badmouthed him behind his back.
Mr Cleverly did not comment but Mr Bridgen said: “The whole Tory party is now engaged in waging an uncivil war.”
Mrs May had another bad day today, though it would only be news if she had a good one.
The PM’s claim that her Plan A is the only letter in the Cabinet’s alphabet was undermined by close ally Amber Rudd, with a Plan B.
Work and Pensions Secretary Ms Rudd took to the airwaves to proclaim a Norway-plus option. This would see the UK retain access to the EU’s single market and also join a customs union.
Ms Rudd says she’s behind Mrs May’s plan but told Radio 4: “I’m just pointing out that if you don’t vote for it, these are the other things that could happen.”
The other things that WOULD happen under the Norway model are continuing, unlimited EU migration and a hefty annual payment to
Brussels.
Brexiteers would hit the roof. Even Ms Rudd saw she had gone too far and a DWP official broke protocol by entering the political arena.
He sent an extraordinary press release after Ms Rudd had been on the Today programme saying: “She is fully behind the PM’s Brexit deal and is warning MPs about the potential impact on jobs of voting against.”
Ms Rudd is one of eight jockeying for Mrs May’s job. The others are Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove.
Commons leader Ms Leadsom and Home Secretary Mr Javid sparked fevered speculation that they would run on a joint ticket by sending MPs invites to a Christmas party to be hosted by them a week tomorrow.
International Development Secretary Ms Mordaunt raised eyebrows when she followed a dozen local Tory associations on Twitter last week. She would need their backing in a leadership contest. One MP said her strings were being pulled by Environment Secretary Michael Gove in return for a promise to make him Chancellor.
Jeremy Corbyn is now trying to forge a deal between Labour, rebel Tories and the DUP which would see Mrs May toppled.
Parliamentary number-crunchers say that if they all ganged up on the PM, she would lose a confidence vote by ONE – 313 votes to 312.
And that’s if all Tory MPs stay loyal.
Mrs May would then have 14 days to win another confidence vote but as the deadline lands on Christmas Day the process would most likely be wrapped up before the Parliamentary recess begins on December 20.
If Mrs May loses a final confidence vote, and Mr Corbyn does not become PM by winning one, there would have to be a General Election on Thursday, January 10 – and no one wants that. There will be 12 amendments to the main motion on Tuesday but the Speaker will select no more than six.
They will range from staying in a permanent customs union to cancelling Article 50 which takes us out of the EU on March 29 next year.
Tories Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston today told the Sunday Mirror they will table proposals for a second referendum immediately Mrs May withdraws the vote, or loses it.
Tory grandee Lord Heseltine today became the latest big beast to back a People’s Vote. The former Deputy PM said: “Our
opponents are calling us traitors. But we are the British patriots.”
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Mrs May was hit by another Brexit resignation tonight when Will Quince quit as Parliamentary aide to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.
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