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Courtesy of the Sunday Times.
Theresa May has told Brussels to “get serious” about Brexit negotiations as she neutered cabinet Brexiteers — but faced a concerted effort by hardline Eurosceptics to oust her. In an interview with The Sunday Times, the prime minister called on Brussels to ditch their “rigid approach” to negotiations and finally start taking her proposals “seriously”, after she struck a deal with her cabinet on Friday.
In a message to Brexit voters, May said that her package would fulfil her pledges to take back control of Britain’s borders, laws and money, declaring: “I won’t let you down.” But rebel Brexiteers broke cover, saying they would submit formal letters demanding a leadership contest, accusing May of orchestrating a sellout to Brussels. In the crunch talks at Chequers on Friday the cabinet agreed a deal that will see Britain tied to EU rules on the sale of goods and farm products for ever, force British courts to take account of the rulings of the European Court of Justice and that sparked fears May could give preferential access to Britain for EU nationals. At the meeting Boris Johnson declared May’s plans “a big turd” and said that anyone defending them would be “polishing a turd” — before backing down and supporting them.
More than one MP texted the foreign secretary yesterday warning that he had 48 hours to resign and lead moves to overthrow May or he would never be Conservative leader. Others contacted Jacob Rees-Mogg urging him to run for the leadership. “He’s our Churchill,” one said. Confronting those who want a leadership challenge, the prime minister told The Sunday Times: “The only challenge that needs to be made now is to the European Union to get serious about this, to come round the table and discuss it with us.” However, May faced a barrage of criticism from Eurosceptics. Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, told a Tory WhatsApp group that May’s plans would leave Britain “locked into” the EU in a way that would “cripple our competitiveness” and “in my view is totally incompatible with our status as an independent state”.