Brexit: Top ministers intervene as PM makes diplomatic dash to Europe
As the prime minister makes a two-leg diplomatic dash to Europe, she faces interventions from senior Conservatives.
Tuesday 9 April 2019 19:26, UK
Cabinet Brexiteers have piled the pressure on Theresa May as she plans to tell EU leaders her cross-party talks with Labour will break the deadlock at Westminster.
The prime minister travelled to Berlin on Tuesday for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel - the first of a two-leg diplomatic dash to Europe as she seeks a second delay to Brexit.
Mrs May will later head to Paris for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of a European Council summit in Brussels on Wednesday when she will make the formal request for a further extension to the Article 50 negotiating period.
Ahead of the talks with Mr Macron, a French presidency official warned that a one-year delay to Brexit would be too long - with the Elysee Palace maintaining that London should not be able to negotiate the UK's future relationship with the EU while inside the trading bloc.
Before the prime minister arrived in Berlin, she also faced two significant Brexit interventions from some of her top ministers.
Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom urged the prime minister to ask for a renegotiation of the UK's withdrawal agreement during her talks with Ms Merkel.
Meanwhile, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox urged the prime minister not to agree to a UK-EU customs union as the price of a deal with Labour.
Speaking as she left home on Tuesday morning, Ms Leadsom - who fought Mrs May for the Conservative leadership in 2016 - said: "What I think would be fantastic is if Angela Merkel would try to support a proper UK Brexit by agreeing to reopen the withdrawal agreement.
"If we could get the prime minister's deal over the line because the EU have decided to support measures on the backstop, then that would be the best possible outcome."
Both Downing Street and the EU dismissed Ms Leadsom's call within hours.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Any plan going forward would be based on the current withdrawal agreement."
And EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier reiterated the bloc's stance that "the withdrawal agreement is not going to be reopened [and] is not up for negotiation again".
He also suggested another Article 50 extension, which Mrs May hopes will be agreed at Wednesday's summit in Brussels, is the UK's "last opportunity" to avoid a no-deal Brexit.
The European Commission official added it is up to the prime minister "to indicate the way forward with a roadmap".
Without a further delay to Brexit, the UK will leave the EU at 11pm on Friday without a divorce agreement.
Despite the EU's hostility to renegotiating the terms of the UK's exit, Mr Barnier said the political declaration on the future UK-EU relationship "can be improved" following a request from London.
"We are willing to improve and amend the political declaration rapidly within a few hours or days," he said.
Mr Barnier suggested a UK wish for a "genuine customs union" with the EU, which is a demand of Labour's, could lead to the political declaration being rewritten.
Asked what plan the prime minister would present to EU leaders on Wednesday, Mrs May's spokesman cited the ongoing cross-party talks with Labour as a path to finally passing her withdrawal agreement.
He said: "Hopefully these can lead to a stable majority in parliament. The prime minister remains certain there is a majority for leaving with a deal."
Ahead of the resumption of cross-party talks with government ministers on Tuesday, Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell revealed a customs union would form part of the discussions.
In a four-page letter to Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Conservative Party's influential 1922 committee, Dr Fox warned that agreeing to Labour's wish for a customs union with the EU would leave the UK in "the worst of both worlds".
On being a non-EU member state but in a customs union with the bloc, Dr Fox - who like Ms Leadsom is a leading Brexit supporter - wrote: "If you are not at the table, you are on the menu."
He also appeared sceptical about the prime minister's own customs proposals for a future UK-EU relationship.
Dr Fox added: "Essentially, the government is seeking to maintain the benefits of a customs union in terms of internal trade (tariffs, quotas and rules of origin) while being outside the EU's common external tariff.
"This would allow the UK to have an independent trade policy.
"Such a proposal have never been implemented to my knowledge but being outside the CCT [EU's Common Customs Tariff] is an absolute prerequisite to Britain being able to benefit from ambitious UK trade and development policies."