Brexit: Dominic Raab accuses Theresa May of giving in to EU 'blackmail' after quitting over deal

Open warfare breaks out at top of Tory party, as outgoing Brexit secretary is branded a 'carpetbagger' by colleague

Deputy Political Editor

Thursday 15 November 2018 14:47 GMT

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Dominic Raab: UK need to 'go back to Brussels with a best and final offer'

Dominic Raab accused the EU of “blackmail” as a fellow cabinet minister condemned his resignation as a selfish bid to grab Theresa May’s job.

Open warfare broke out at the top of the Conservative party, with the outgoing Brexit secretary branded a “carpetbagger” by David Mundell, the Scottish secretary.

Mr Raab, meanwhile, stepped up his broadside at the prime minister’s draft deal, accusing her of giving in to “blackmail” by Brussels.

He said the deal was doomed to defeat in the House of Commons unless she changed course, describing it as having “two major and fatal flaws”.

“The first is that the terms being offered by the EU threaten the integrity of the United Kingdom and the second is that they would lead to an indefinite if not permanent situation where we're locked into a regime with no say over the rules being applied, with no exit mechanism,” he told the BBC.

“I think that would be damaging for the economy but devastating for public trust in our democracy.”

He said he held the prime minister in “high esteem” and “should continue”, but warned: “I do think we need to change course on Brexit.”

David Mundell calls Dominic Raab a 'carpet bagger' following Brexit investigation

He argued the government must risk a no-deal Brexit in the face of the EU's “blackmail” and did not rule out putting himself forward for leader if the government continued to fall apart.

The resignation of Mr Raab – an arch-Brexiteer, promoted to replace David Davis when he quit in protest at Mrs May's Brexit plans – was a devastating blow to the prime minister.

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

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1/14Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnson‘s “disgusting” criticism of Theresa May. Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having ”wrapped a suicide vest” around Britain

Reuters

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Sajid Javid, Home secretary

Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: “I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences.” He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use “measured language”

BBC/PA

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnson’s defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms May’s Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to “wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution”. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnson’s career over the matter

PA

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Alan Duncan, Foreign minister

Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnson’s team for two years, wrote on Twitter: “For Boris to say the PM’s view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. “I’m sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isn’t now, I will make sure it is later.”

Getty

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

James Brokenshire, Housing secretary

Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnson’s comments ”wrong” He said: “I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isn’t right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan.”

AFP/Getty

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Zac Goldsmith

But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan. He wrote: “There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain ‘principles’ aren’t one of them.”

Getty

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnson’s “suicide belt” accusation was little more than “a characteristically colourful catchphrase”. He added: “I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boris’s wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boris’s criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him.”

Reuters

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Nadine Dorries

Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnson’s opponents were “terrified of his popular appeal”, adding: “Don’t underestimate the vitriol that’ll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him.” If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a “clean and prosperous” Brexit, she said

Rex

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Andrew Bridgen

Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems. Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: “I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that.”

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Steve Baker, former Brexit minister

Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan. Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: “When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver. "If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid.” But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did “not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister”

Reuters

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Tom Tugendhat

The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary. Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to “grow up”. He said: “A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain. “Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isn’t happy.”

PA

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Alistair Burt

Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnson’s team, said: “I’m stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. “If we don’t stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough.”

AFP/Getty

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

It comes amid that Ms May’s former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnson’s sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects. The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster

AFP/Getty

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide

Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended

AP

It drew an extraordinary attack from Mr Mundell, who announced he was staying in the cabinet – despite his own threat to rebel over fishing rights.

He accused Mr Raab of developing a “latter-day commitment to the Union”, claiming his resignation was really “about manoeuvring and leadership”.

“I'm not taking lessons in standing up for our United Kingdom from carpetbaggers,” Mr Mundell told ITV Borders.

“Only a couple of years ago Dominic Raab was proposing to introduce a bill of rights into Scotland which would have overridden the Scottish legal system and devolution.

“So I'm not impressed by his latter-day commitment to the Union. I'm sure this is more about manoeuvring and leadership.”

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