Anna Soubry accuses Government of 'macho’ threats to Tory MPs over Brexit bill
3 min read
A former Tory minister has hit out at the Government’s “bullish” and “macho” approach to Brexit.
Anna Soubry, a leading pro-Remain Conservative, attacked attempts by colleagues to try and block opposition to the EU Withdrawal Bill, which transposes EU statutes into British law and is set to be debated this Thursday.
First Secretary of State Damian Green, who is effectively Deputy Prime Minister, warned Tory MPs over the weekend to back the Brexit legislation or risk getting Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Green piled pressure on Tory backbenchers suggesting that any disunity from colleagues could force a snap election, which Labour could win.
But as Parliament prepares to debate the landmark legislation Ms Soubry hit back, saying “I thought we had abandoned this sort of rather bullish, macho way of doing business over Brexit.
“We lost our majority so everything has changed and one of the reasons I think we lost our majority was because of that rather silly, foolish, bullish attitude as I describe it.”
The former minister also told the Today programme there was nothing “weird” and, “certainly nothing treacherous about putting down amendments and then speaking to them and indeed voting on them. It’s called democracy.”
Ms Soubry criticised weekend newspaper coverage and urged Theresa May to “take control of” the briefings.
“I'm afraid the sort of stuff we've had over the weekend not only makes me rather cross but is just actually not true. What we're not doing is debating this bill and why it's so important.
She also downplayed the possibility of Tory MPs voting against the bill in its early stages.
“I don’t know of any Conservative Member of Parliament that isn’t going to vote for this bill at second reading,” she said.
“We were never going to vote against the Government in relation to the second reading of this bill but the idea that you shouldn’t do your job as a Member of Parliament when it comes into the committee stage of putting down amendments, seeking to scrutinise legislation, probing amendments where you hope to get a concession or better understanding from Government, this is the bread and butter of the job that all Members of Parliament are returned to do.”
“Concerns about this bill aren't actually to do with Brexit, it's all about the enormous powers - we apparently voted to 'take back control', we are going to be vesting huge amounts of power in government. There is a real danger that basic human rights will be removed only to be given back at the behest of government. People like me are very concerned about what I call the 'end game'. When we get a deal will it go to Parliament so Parliament has the final say?”
Mr Green wrote yesterday: “Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I believe strongly that as a democrat I should respect the result, and that as a politician it is my duty to make the Brexit settlement as good as possible.
“Starting the new Parliamentary session with the Withdrawal Bill shows that it is now the job of all MPs, including my former colleagues on the Stronger In campaign, to respect the will of the people and get the best possible deal for Britain. No Conservative wants a bad Brexit deal, or to do anything that increases the threat of a Corbyn government."
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