Jacob Rees-Mogg warns Theresa May: Deliver on Brexit promises or face Tory revolt
3 min read
Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned Theresa May that she must deliver on her Brexit promises or face a rebellion from within her own party.
The leading Brexiteer told the Prime Minister that Conservative MPs would vote against the final withdrawal agreement if the UK does not make a clean break from the EU.
In article for The Telegraph, he wrote: “The Prime Minister must stick to her righteous cause and deliver what she has said she would, she must use her undoubted grace to persevere."
His comments came as Mrs May prepares for a crunch Cabinet meeting at Chequers on Friday, at which she hopes to finalise her government's approach to Brexit.
According to the BBC, Downing Street has come up with a compromise proposal for Britain's future trading relationship with the EU after failing to secure enough backing for either her preferred "customs partnership" or the so-called "maximum facilitation" arrangement.
Mr Rees-Mogg – who heads the 60-strong European Research Group of Leave-backing Tory MPs – branded the customs partnership with the EU "idiotic," saying it would be a betrayal of the negotiation red lines Mrs May had previously set out.
He added: "Any attempt by the EU to impose its laws and court on the UK, either directly or indirectly, must be rejected.
“Any EU agreement that restricts the country's ability to make trade agreements with other states, restricts our ability to control our migration policy makes us pay to trade or interferes with our fishing waters could not be accepted.
“Indeed MPs would vote against such propositions in Parliament."
However, in a development that will anger Brexiteers The Times has revealed that Olly Robbins - Mrs May's key Brexit adviser - has been warning ministers ahead of the Chequers summit that they will have to acceot significant compromises in order to get a deal.
According to the newspaper, the top civil servant has said Brussels will not accept a bespoke deal and Britain must be realistic about what can be achieved.
A source said: “I came out of the meeting and thought we were even more screwed than we were before.
“I was surprised he admitted how bad it was. If I had to gauge where we are, I would say Downing Street is moving towards the Norwegian model.”
The standoff comes after 36 Tory MPs called on the Prime Minister to "get tough" with the European Union in an open letter.
The group, led by Andrea Jenkyns - who quit the Government in May, wrote: "We must not remain entangled with the EU’s institutions if this restricts our ability to exercise our sovereignty as an independent nation.
"Anything less will be a weakening of our democracy. Britain must stand firm."
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