Jeremy Hunt warns Theresa May not to bow to Labour Brexit demands
The foreign secretary urged the PM not to accept a call for a permanent EU-UK customs union.
Wednesday 1 May 2019 10:26, UK
Theresa May has been warned that bowing to Labour demands could see her lose the support of more Tory MPs for her Brexit deal than she gains in opposition votes.
The government continues to engage in cross-party Brexit talks with Labour in an attempt to break the deadlock at Westminster.
Both sides made positive remarks about the progress of negotiations following Monday's round of discussions, which prompted the pound to reach a one-week high on Tuesday.
Labour claimed the government is "open to moving forward in our direction" while Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, the prime minister's deputy, praised the "productive" meeting.
But Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt - speaking on a five-day Africa tour - urged Mrs May not to accept all of Labour's demands for a Brexit deal, such as a permanent EU-UK customs union.
"If we were proposing, which I very much hope we don't, to sign up to the customs union, then I think there is a risk that you would lose more Conservative MPs than you would gain Labour MPs," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"If, on the other hand, it was something different, then the result could be different as well."
Mr Hunt stressed the cross-party talks are "progressing" and there is a "great sense of urgency" in government efforts to overcome the impasse among MPs, which has led the House of Commons to reject Mrs May's Brexit deal three times so far.
The prime minister's continued failure to get her withdrawal agreement passed, prompting a second delay to the UK's departure from the EU, has also led to growing demands for Mrs May to resign.
Despite being among the frontrunners to replace Mrs May, Mr Hunt argued there shouldn't be a Tory leadership contest at this time.
"Just changing the leader doesn't actually change the parliamentary arithmetic," he added.
"So, I think, what it would do is create delay in the process and mean that we will have another period of time through which we have Brexit paralysis."
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Responding to Mr Hunt's comments about a customs union deal losing the support of Tory MPs, Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "This is hardly a helpful or constructive intervention whilst we are in the middle of cross-party talks to protect our economy and does not inspire confidence that if a deal is agreed it would be successfully entrenched and last any longer than the next Tory leadership election."
On Tuesday, Mrs May gave her cabinet ministers an update on the progress of Brexit talks with Labour.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Cabinet received an update on the Brexit talks with the opposition, including the negotiations last night which were serious and constructive.
"Further talks will now be scheduled in order to bring the process toward a conclusion.
"Cabinet also discussed the need to secure safe passage of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill as soon as possible in order to deliver upon the result of the referendum."