18 January 2019 10:36 am
Theresa May faces a slew of resignations if she blocks MPs from ruling out no-deal Brexit (DM)
Theresa May is facing a slew of resignations if she tries to block MPs from ruling out no-deal Brexit - as she tries to break the Commons deadlock.
The PM and her Cabinet have been holding a frantic round of cross-party meetings after she held out an olive branch following a failed Labour bid to oust her.
Tory Eurosceptics including David Davis, and Green MP Caroline Lucas were among the key players spotted at Whitehall today as efforts to forge consensus are ramped up. However, Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) and Nicola Sturgeon have flatly rejected the overture, insisting they will not talk until the government rules out leaving the EU without a deal.
Mrs May has said the option must stay on the table, and dismissed calls to delay the exit date from March. But it has emerged she could face a major uprising within government over a bid by Tory MP Nick Boles to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Boles is tabling an amendment that would empower backbenchers to push through legislation extending the Article 50 process by nine months - effectively avoiding a cliff edge.
He told the Evening Standard that around 20 ministers are ready to resign if Chief Whip Julian Smith tries to order them to oppose the amendment, which would be considered alongside Mrs May’s ‘Plan B’ on January 29.
A number of Cabinet members are also said to have vowed that they will not oppose the mechanism.
UK, (Daily Mail), 17 January 2019 -