THERESA May was last night struggling to hold her Government together as two ministers quit in protest at her “national unity” Brexit talks with Jeremy Corbyn – with 15 more ready to go.
The PM’s decision to compromise with Labour for a softer Brexit that will pass the Commons split the Conservative Party down the middle yesterday.
While loyalists defended the plan – that also delays Brexit until at least to May 22 – as the only way to guarantee Britain does leave the EU, Leavers accused her of bitter betrayal.
The Sun has been told that 15 Brexiteer ministers are “on the edge” of also walking out – 10 junior ministers, five in the Cabinet.
One of those ministers said: “Many, many colleagues in government are just seething and a lot of us are on the edge now – some over a customs union, others over European Parliament elections.
“What’s for sure is if she asks for a long extension next week it will mean mass resignations.”
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox signalled last night he is one ready to quit if Mrs May watered down her red lines, telling MPs he is prepared to dump “none” of the party’s manifesto promises.
A large group of Brexiteer ministers – known as the Pizza Club – met twice yesterday, including late last night in the Commons, to try to plot a way to stop Mrs May from softening Brexit further.
Among them were Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.
Wales minister Nigel Adams quit at 9am yesterday, accusing Mrs May of “a grave error”.
In a seething resignation letter to the PM, Mr Adams added: “It now seems that you have decided a deal – cooked up by a Marxist who has never put British interests first – is better than no deal”.
Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris then walked out in the middle of the Mrs May’s two hours of talks with Jeremy Corbyn yesterday afternoon, telling her he “cannot support any further extension to Article 50”.
Many, many colleagues in government are just seething
Government minister
Mr Heaton-Harris – who was in charge of No Deal planning – said the PM’s decision not to leave without a deal “makes my job in Government irrelevant”.
Issuing an incendiary allegation, the MP for Daventry also accused senior civil servants of withholding key information from her.
He added in his resignation letter: “Unfortunately, I do not believe the briefings you have received on these matters recently have reflected all they have achieved or the preparations our European partners have made”.
The two departures brought the total of unfilled posts in Government to six, with No10 failing to fill resigning ministers places for the past three weeks.
LONG DELAY?
Mrs May was also hit by a fresh Cabinet revolt after a new split emerged between her and her Brexit Secretary over how long a new Brexit delay she should ask the EU for.
While no final decision has been made, No10 say Mrs May is expected to request a long delay of nine months during an emergency new EU summit next week – but with a break clause, to deliver on her promise of an earlier exit by May 22 as soon as a deal is passed by MPs.
But Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay made it clear to MPs yesterday that the Cabinet only reluctantly signed off a delay of a few more weeks, saying: “There has been no Cabinet agreement for an extension beyond 22 May”.
Mr Barclay also piled the pressure on Mrs May not to request a lengthy extension – telling MPs that she is “on record” saying she won’t seek one beyond June.
An extraordinary bid was also drawn up by some livid Tory MPs to try to fine the PM and the Cabinet ministers that backed her plan half their annual salaries, via an official censure motion put before the House of Commons.
But it was unlikely to pass.
Defending Mrs May’s controversial unity talks, and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox also warned Tory MPs they must now be prepared to rip up some Tory manifesto red lines just to get Brexit over line.
Brexit campaigner Mr Cox said: “I don’t want to see a customs union, let me make that clear.
“But if it is a choice between leaving and a customs union, then I will take leaving every single time.
“Leaving is the priority. Other matters, important though they are, are of a lesser significance.”
He also insisted that eurosceptics like ex-Tory boss Iain Duncan Smith “would have bitten off the arm of the Prime Minister” to get a soft Brexit deal.
Mr Cox added: “A customs union is not some kind of sell-out. Even if it were to be negotiated, it still involves a massive repatriation of sovereign power to this country”.
NO COMPROMISING
But International Trade Secretary Liam Fox opened a huge Cabinet divide last night by telling Tory MPs he wasn’t ready to “compromise”.
Sources claimed he was challenged at a meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee about which red line he would wave in talks with Labour – a second referendum, single market or customs union – he replied: “None of them.”
Challenged by the Sun as he left the meeting whether he would still be able to strike trade deals in the future, Mr Fox said: “What’s it say in our manifesto?”
A giant 10 second-long clap of thunder just as Mrs May and Mr Corbyn met yesterday afternoon sparked graveyard humour across Parliament.
Despite Mr Corbyn’s negative readout from it, a Downing Street spokesman said: “Today’s talks were constructive, with both sides showing flexibility and a commitment to bring the current Brexit uncertainty to a close.
“We have agreed a programme of work to ensure we deliver for the British people, protecting jobs and security.”
Earlier, the PM was panned by five Tories for her opening the door to Mr Corbyn in a stormy PMQs.
Caroline Johnson demanded the PM explain whether a No Deal was really riskier than “ushering in a Marxist, anti-Semite led Government”.
The PM insisted she was trying to deliver for voters and “deliver Brexit as soon as possible”. David Jones, the former Brexit Minister, asked whether it remained the PM’s position that Mr Corbyn was “not fit to govern”.
Mrs May said the two leaders had different opinions on a number of issues – and panned the Labour leader for “believing Vladimir Putin” over the UK’s spooks following the Salisbury attack.
But earlier she insisted herself and Mr Corbyn agreed on wanting to deliver a deal, protecting jobs, ensuring an end to free movement.
“We want to find a way forward that can command the support of this House, to deliver on Brexit and the result of the referendum, and to ensure that people can continue to have trust in their politicians doing what they ask us to do.”
The PM signalled her confidence a deal was possible – by comparing herself to childhood hero Geoffrey Boycott. Responding to a question about devolution in Yorkshire from a fellow cricket fan John Grogan she said: “one thing that I have always admired about Geoffrey Boycott is that he stayed at the crease, kept going and got his century in the end.”
MOST READ IN BREXIT
In a stunning outburst last night, newly independent Remainer MP Nick Boles – who resigned as a Tory on Monday – accused the PM’s chief spinner of trying to sabotage her bid for a deal with Labour.
Mr Boles tweeted: “I am no longer a member of the Conservative Party, so I can be blunt where previously I might have been discreet.
“The PM’s head of communications Robbie Gibb is a hard Brexiter who wants to destroy the PM’s new search for a cross party compromise.
“The Prime Minister would do well to tell Mr Gibb to get back in his box.”
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News Photo Theresa May struggles to hold her Government together as ministers jump ship over Brexit talks with Jeremy Corbyn
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