Theresa May told to rescue Brexit within 10 days or face cabinet walkout to prevent no deal

David Gauke hints he will quit if prime minister fails to ‘act responsibly’ by ruling out a no deal – with other ministers expected to follow

Rob Merrick
Deputy Political Editor
Saturday 16 February 2019 11:09 GMT
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What does a no-deal Brexit mean?

A cabinet minister has given Theresa May a 10-day deadline to rescue Brexit or face a walkout to stop her crashing the UK out of the EU without a deal.

David Gauke, the justice secretary, said the prime minister must “act responsibly” by ruling out a no-deal Brexit if she has failed to win Commons backing for her agreement by the end of the month.

Highlighting the threat to “the economy, our security and the integrity of the union”, Mr Gauke hinted – several times – that he would resign if Ms May failed to act by then.

“If not, my position is very clear. The consequences of leaving without a deal would not be in the national interest,” he told BBC Radio 4.

“I hope the government will act in accordance with the national interest – that’s what I would expect it to do.”

Up to five cabinet ministers are thought to be ready to quit with Mr Gauke, among a “dozen or even more” across the government, senior Tory Dominic Grieve has said.

Their deadline is 27 February – just 30 days before Brexit day on 29 March – when MPs will stage the next round of Brexit votes.

Labour’s Yvette Cooper and her Tory allies will again try to compel the prime minister to seek an extension to Article 50, by winning a vote leading to binding backbench legislation.

The Cooper bill failed by 27 votes last month – and was not attempted last Thursday – because Conservative ministers who oppose a crash-out Brexit were not ready to quit to support it.

There are now signs that is changing, with Mr Gauke suggesting he would back an extension to the Article 50 notice if no deal can be approved within 10 days.

“If not, then we will have to, in my view, act responsibly and make sure that this country, the economy is protected, our security is protected and the integrity of the union is protected.”

David Mundell, the Scottish secretary, called for the second “meaningful vote” to be staged on 27 February – also setting it as a deadline to rescuing the deal.

Margot James, the digital minister, said on Friday: “I could not be part of a government which allows this country to leave the EU without a deal.”

And Tobias Ellwood, the defence minister, has called for the prime minister to grant Tory MPs a free vote to support the Cooper bill – something she is highly unlikely to do.

If the prime minister refuses, the ministers opposing a no deal – who also include Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, and Greg Clark, the business secretary – would have to resign to take it off the table.

Meanwhile, Ms May is no nearer to securing the “legally binding” changes to the Irish backstop from the EU she says she needs for parliament to approve the deal.

Brussels has refused a time limit, or a unilateral exit mechanism – and the prime minister abandoned the search for “alternative arrangements”, as demanded by the Commons, as unrealistic.

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