Theresa May’s former adviser says she should resign to get her Brexit deal through
George Freeman says it is time for a ‘new leader to reunite the country’
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May’s former policy adviser has called on the prime minister to pledge she will step down to win support from MPs for her withdrawal agreement.
George Freeman, who chaired the prime minister’s policy board in 2016/17, has said it is time for a “new leader to reunite the country”.
The MP for Mid Norfolk, who campaigned for Remain, said it was time to “find a way to leave in an orderly way” and that both no deal and not respecting the EU referendum result would be “deeply irresponsible”.
“We need to find a cross-party Brexit backed by northern Labour MPs. This chaos can’t go on, something has to give. Either the deal or the prime minister or Brexit on 29 March,” Mr Freeman told The Independent.
“If the prime minister has to promise to go after the withdrawal agreement to secure the votes for an orderly withdrawal on 29 March, I think she should accept that and allow a new leader to try and unite the nation with a different approach to oversee the crucial next stage.”
Mr Freeman’s comments come as MPs will have the opportunity tonight to vote on delaying Brexit after they ruled out a no-deal withdrawal from the EU and rejected Ms May’s deal on two separate occasions.
Ms May said she intends to hold a third “meaningful vote” on her deal and has put down a motion that offers a one-off extension of Article 50, delaying the scheduled Brexit date of 29 March to 30 June if MPs approve her deal by Wednesday.
After losing the last vote by more than 100, it seems unlikely Ms May will manage to get her deal through the Commons, and the prime minister has said a longer extension might be needed.
“I do not think that would be the right outcome,” Ms May said.
“But the house needs to face up to the consequences of the decision it has taken.”
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