Theresa May tells Cabinet to ‘stand together’ over her Brexit plan
Theresa May told her Cabinet to “stand together” in order to get a Brexit deal with the EU today during an extended meeting of her top team.
Ministers debated the PM’s negotiating stance for two and a half hours on Tuesday morning, just a day before May will once again try to sell her plans to EU leaders.
Downing Street said Cabinet ministers embarked on a “detailed and thorough discussion” of the Brexit strategy, and there was strong support for May’s stance that the EU’s plan to keep Northern Ireland in the customs union if no trade deal is reached was unacceptable.
On Monday evening, eight of May’s most eurosceptic Cabinet ministers – including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab – held a separate meeting in the office of Andrea Leadsom, prompting speculation of a caucus forming intent of shifting the Government’s Brexit position.
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said this afternoon no minister had raised the possibility of resignation during the Cabinet meeting, and no decision was taken on how to proceed if the EU did not shift its position.
He said that May told ministers: “I’m convinced that if we as a government stand together and stand firm we can achieve this.”
The discussion focused on two “sticking points”, according to Downing Street.
The first related to the plan for a backstop plan to keep an invisible border on the island of Ireland if a trade deal is not finalised by the time the post-Brexit transition period ends in December 2020.
Brussels’ proposal is to keep Northern Ireland in the EU’s customs union and Single Market – a move repeatedly described as “unacceptable” by the Prime Minister.
The second related to the UK’s counter offer, which would see the UK stay in the customs union until a trade deal can be agreed and implemented. Many Tory MPs, including former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, are unhappy that no formal time limit will be placed on this arrangement.
Downing Street today said Cabinet discussed ways of making sure the UK “cannot be kept in the backstop arrangement indefinitely.”
May will on Wednesday travel to Brussels to address EU leaders directly in an attempt to force a breakthrough in negotiations.