WATCH: Tory MP Steve Baker warns he could vote against Government in no-confidence motion
3 min read
Tory Eurosceptic Steve Baker has confirmed “it’s on the table” that he could vote against the Government in a no-confidence motion.
In a blow to his own party the Brexiteer said “there’s no point denying things are running away” as he warned a customs union-style Brexit would shatter the Conservatives.
The warning comes as MPs are set to vote on a series of Brexit options today, while ballots cast last week showed a preference towards a softer exit from the European Union.
Mr Baker told PoliticsLive: “At this point I can foresee no circumstances while as a Conservative MP I would vote against the Government in a confidence motion.
“But we are approaching the point where the stakes are now so very high and so transcend party politics and what this country is about, and the fundamental British value that political power rests on consent, that I think these things are coming onto the table.
He added: “It’s on the table - there’s no point denying things are running away.”
The die-hard pro-Brexit Tory has refused to back Theresa May’s deal, instead favouring a harsher split from the European bloc such as a no-deal exit.
He has stood firm while fellow Brexiteers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg decided to switch sides and support Mrs May’s deal in the third meaningful vote on her deal.
Labour called a no-confidence motion in January after Mrs May suffered a historic defeat on her Brexit deal, but it failed to secure a majority by 19 votes.
Speaking on Sunday, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberrry refused to be drawn on whether her party would seek to oust Mrs May from power with another vote, telling Sky News: "We shall see. I mean obviously it does look like time may come when we will need to call another confidence motion."
'CONSCIENCE FREE OF BLEMISH'
Elsewhere on the same show, the former minister was quizzed on his involvement in an overspend by the official pro-Brexit Vote Leave campaign.
The grouping on Friday dropped its appeal against an Electoral Commission finding that it had breached campaign spending rules during the 2016 referendum battle.
Mr Baker has come under scrutiny because of a letter he wrote advising Conservative colleagues on a way the project could spend "as much money as necessary to win the referendum" in 2016.
But Mr Baker hit back at any claims of wrongdoing.
He said: "Now I am extremely angry with the person that badly advised me, they’ve never taken responsibility for poorly advising me to the point that I’ve ended up sitting here today having to defend it.
"But I am absolutely clear that my conscience is free of any blemish on this issue, and I would also like to point out that in any event, that was written before the regulated period, and people can make mistakes."
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