The prime minister has urged Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to back her Brexit deal after her own MPs slammed it as ‘even worse’ than before.
Theresa May’s proposal, which opens up the possibility of a second referendum, a customs union and a new workers’ rights bill was described as ‘dead on arrival’.
Leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who were among Tories who backed May’s deal in March, have vowed to oppose the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB).
Rejection of the WAB would put further pressure on May to quit immediately, with some Tories calling for her to go now to avoid further humiliation of a fourth Brexit deal defeat.
May, who will face the Commons on Wednesday, hopes her 10-point compromise plan will attract enough Labour and DUP MPs to make up for Tory Eurosceptics who are opposed to her deal.
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In a letter to Corbyn, she highlighted the tests he had set at the start of the failed process to reach a cross-party agreement, and insisted that the proposals would hold ‘for the remainder of this parliament’ – a reference to his concerns that her successor could unpick a deal.
She told him: ‘I have shown… that I am willing to compromise to deliver Brexit for the British people.
‘The WAB is our last chance to do so. I ask you to compromise too so that we can deliver what both our parties promised in our manifestos and restore faith in our politics.’
On Tuesday Corbyn said: ‘We will, of course, look seriously at the details of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill when it is published.
‘But we won’t back a repackaged version of the same old deal – and it’s clear that this weak and disintegrating government is unable to deliver on its own commitments.’
May’s last-ditch attempt to get a deal through included offering a vote on whether to hold a second referendum, as well as a choice over the UK’s future customs arrangements.
But the deal was described as ‘dead on arrival’ by Conservative Mark Francois, vice-chairman of the European Research Group (ERG).
Former foreign secretary Johnson said: ‘Now we are being asked to vote for a customs union and a second referendum. The Bill is directly against our manifesto – and I will not vote for it.
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‘We can and must do better – and deliver what the people voted for.’
Former Brexit secretary Raab said: ‘I cannot support legislation that would be the vehicle for a second referendum or customs union.
‘Either option would frustrate rather than deliver Brexit – and break our clear manifesto promises.’
Brexiteer Cabinet ministers are understood to be trying to persuade May to ditch the fourth attempt to pass her deal, warning the vote will end in yet another humiliation.
And the PM faces a fresh bid to eject her from Downing Street from the 1922 backbenchers’ committee, which meets later on Wednesday.
With great reluctance I backed MV3. Now we are being asked to vote for a customs union and a second referendum. The Bill is directly against our manifesto – and I will not vote for it. We can and must do better – and deliver what the people voted for.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 21, 2019
The Prime Minister’s latest proposals are worse than before and would leave us bound deeply in to the EU. It is time to leave on WTO terms.
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg)
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