Theresa May's deal branded 'unworkable' by senior Tory Eurosceptic as PM faces open dissent in parliament
The prime minister faces questions in the Commons about the political declaration with the EU
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has defended her blueprint for post-Brexit relations with the EU as senior Tories lined up to rubbish her "unworkable" agreement with Brussels.
The prime minister told MPs that a good Brexit deal was "within our grasp" and urged MPs to get behind her over the next 72 hours, when she will return to the Belgian capital for a summit where EU leaders will decide whether to rubberstamp the deal.
Conservative Eurosceptics expressed their dissent during a tense Commons statement, when ex-foreign secretary Boris Johnson described it as "complete nonsense" and Iain Duncan-Smith, former Tory leader, said it was not "at all workable" in its current form.
Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson said: "We should junk forthwith the backstop, upon which the future economic partnership - according to this political declaration - is to be based, and which makes a complete nonsense of Brexit."
Ms May said her deal delivers what Mr Johnson wants, telling him: "The future relationship we have set out in the political declaration ends free movement, ends sending vast sums of money to the European Union every year and ends the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom, and it enables us to hold an independent trade policy and to negotiate trade deals around the whole of the world."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also dismissed the political agreement as "26 pages of waffle," which heralds the "blindfold Brexit we all feared".
Mark Francois, another leading Brexiteer and critic of Theresa May, says the Tory manifesto promised the UK would leave the customs union but that the backstop could result in the UK staying in the customs union and only being able to leave if the EU allows.
He says May has also said she will not contemplate new checks in the Irish Sea "and yet this document contemplates exactly that".
Francois asks May why he has "repeatedly made commitments at the despatch box and then done the opposite".
Interesting... Theresa May's spokesman has just told journalists that there will be no fresh Brexit referendum as long as she remains prime minister, raising the prospect that she could resign if MPs decide another public vote is the only way to break the deadlock.
Full story: Theresa May faced a growing backlash from Tory and DUP MPs as she updated MPs on her planned Brexit deal
The Commons intelligence and security committee has said London Bridge attack ringleader Khuram Batt could have been 'disrupted' by intelligence agencies
The DUP has said there is "no enthusiam" for Ms May's deal and it would be "very damaging and dangerous".
Their Brexit spokesperson, Sammy Wilson, said:
The political declaration is a non-binding aspirational agreement of convenience whilst the withdrawal agreement is a legally binding text which will tie the UK for years to come.
Today's document has been drafted to help the Prime Minister rather than mitigate the very damaging and dangerous draft withdrawal agreement."
The Government needs to recognise that there is no enthusiasm for the withdrawal agreement across all sides of the House of Commons.
"The Prime Minister must accept that it is not a pure choice for MPs between her withdrawal agreement and a so-called no deal. Rather it is time to work for a better deal.
Theresa May had a meeting today with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
A Downing Street spokesperson said:
[Theresa May] emphasised the long-standing relationship between the UK and Austria, and shared priorities like security and illegal migration, which have been a key focus throughout the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Prime Minister and the Chancellor welcomed the agreement on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and the text on the political declaration on the future relationship. They agreed that delivering a good deal was in everyone’s interest and looked forward to the Special Council on Sunday, at which leaders of the EU27 will consider the text.
Sky's Faisal Islam has pointed out that the term "frictionless trade" has been consciously dropped from the political declaration
Business leaders from Northern Ireland warned a no-deal Brexit would be "catastrophic" and urged the DUP to back Theresa May's agreement with Brussels.
A delegation from Northern Ireland met the Prime Minister in Downing Street to set out their concerns.
Their visit came as the DUP's MPs stressed the Withdrawal Agreement was unacceptable to them.
After talks in Number 10, Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly told the Press Association:
The united front from the business community and the agricultural community in Northern Ireland is that 'no deal' is not an option.
We need a deal. To crash out in 130 days or so, that's catastrophic to the Northern Ireland economy and catastrophic as well to the rest of the UK.
So 'no deal' is not an option, first. The second thing is that the future relationship is where this will be won for the UK but to get there we need the Withdrawal Agreement.
We would hope that not just the DUP but all parties in Parliament would rally around this Withdrawal Agreement, rally around the Political Declaration and let's move on to a more positive, substantive future relationship conversation.
Thank you for following The Independent's coverage of the day's political events
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments