Brexit news: Jeremy Hunt claims Merkel is willing to look at new deal as PM hopeful lays out withdrawal plans
All the developments from Westminster on Monday
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Your support makes all the difference.Tory leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt has unveiled his 10-point plan to handle a no-deal Brexit, vowing to “cease all discussions” with Brussels on 30 September if the EU fails to budge.
He also claimed to have been told by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, that she would be willing to look at any new Brexit the next British PM comes up with.
It came as his rival, Boris Johnson, was heckled at a garden centre and accused of misrepresenting the ideas of a 14th century Tunisian scholar after claiming he could cut taxes and increase revenue.
Meanwhile, pro-Jeremy Corbyn organisation Momentum has launched a fresh drive to unseat Mr Johnson – who could not name the amount paid under the living wage during his latest TV interview – at the next general election.
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Jeremy Hunt now live on Sky News. Will he again attempt to convince viewers that he is "absolutely definitely deadly serious about no-deal Brexit"? That's how The Independent's political sketch writer Tom Peck described his position today.
After expressing sympathy for the protesters in Hong Kong, Mr Hunt is asked by an audience member about Iran.
"If you look around the world, which is the part of the world where we could have an unexpected war, it is here. We have this Iran nuclear deal, we support this nuclear deal. We want to preserve that deal because we don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons, but if Iran breaks that deal then we are out of it as well."
Mr Hunt says he "can't envisage any circumstances" where the UK would be part of an attack by the US on Iran.
Asked by Kay Burley about Saudi Arabia "cutting journalists up into little bits", Mr Hunt says it "crosses a red line" but says they are the UK's strategic allies.
Mr Hunt says he talks to Donald Trump "businessman to businessman", even though he doesn't agree with the president's policies on climate change and attitude to journalists.
Now to Brexit and the Tory leadership race. Mr Hunt says he recognises that no-deal Brexit will be "very scary to a lot of people", and refers to two people he has met whose livelihoods will be affected. "That's why there will be a £20 billion support package," he says. "If it's the only way to deliver Brexit, then we would do it."
Asked about the Chancellor's claims that extra spending would only be available if there was a deal, he says he agrees. "Yes, we would not be able to do some of the other things, those would be delayed." Says the money would have to be used to cushion the effect of a no-deal Brexit.
Asked why he believes he can achieve Brexit in six weeks, he says: "It's challenging. I would be going for a different deal."
He says he never believed in the backstop and claims the DUP and the ERG will be in his team during negotiations with the EU.
"If we offer them a sensible solution, then I'm sure they will listen," he says.
He claims he can come up with a different plan [to the prime minister's] in six weeks and take it to the EU in September.
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