Theresa May talks to The Sun about her determination to deliver Brexit – with or without a deal
DEFIANT Theresa May has told of her determination to deliver Brexit with or without a deal and vowed: “I’m not bluffing.”
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, the PM warned stubborn EU chiefs she will do everything in her power to get her Chequers blueprint agreed.
She blasted saboteurs at home for “playing politics” with Britain’s future by trying to derail her plan for their own ambitions.
But she insisted she won’t flinch from quitting empty-handed if her efforts are blocked by any of the forces lined up against her. Mrs May declared: “I’m serious about it when I say No Deal is better than a bad deal.
“It is very important that people realise I am not bluffing about this.
“I believe that we can get a deal. I believe we can get a good deal and that’s what we are working for. But nobody should be in any doubt.”
Mrs May is gearing up for her toughest Tory conference yet in Birmingham, with grassroots Leavers, Remainers and Cabinet members lined up against her plan.
But with just 180 days until Brexit, she swore nobody would be allowed to rob her of that “historic moment”.
The PM is fighting for her Chequers deal — that would tie the UK to EU rules for goods.
And it could give Brussels the right to annexe Northern Ireland economically if rules change — as part of a backstop to protect a frictionless border with Ireland.
In a thinly-veiled attack on “chuck Chequers cheerleader” Boris Johnson she accused many opponents of “playing politics” with Britain’s future.
Sitting in her study at 10 Downing Street, she said: “It is absolutely crucial that we deliver on the vote of the British people.
“They were given a choice, they chose and it’s our duty, it’s our job, to deliver. This is about voters being able to trust their politicians to deliver for them.
“This isn’t about me or anyone else. It is about making sure that we’re really battling for Britain.”
In a patriotic red, white and blue jacket by Paris designer Paule Ka — which can cost up to £1,345 — she brushed off BoJo’s rival plan.
He wants a Canada-plus free trade agreement and plans to launch it at the Tories’ rally on Tuesday.
And she appeared to rule out a return to Cabinet for BoJo once Brexit has been finalised.
With a wry smile, Mrs May said: “Look, Boris is an entertaining figure. I’m sure it will be a lively event. But I’m focusing on what is important and ensuring that we are working in the national interest and delivering for the country.
“Sometimes people ask me about Cabinet reshuffles.
“But I have a Cabinet who want to see the right result for the UK, and that’s what we are taking forward.”
Can she make it to March 29 without a second referendum?
And can we bet the house on her Chequers deal being accepted?
With a steely glare, she replied: “We WILL leave the European Union on March 29, 2019.
“We had the people’s vote in June 2016. It was a referendum and people voted to leave the EU.
“As it happens, I’m not really a betting woman, but what I would say is I’m confident that we can get a deal, and a good deal.
“We are in the final straits of the negotiation. It was always going to be the toughest part and I think there is a genuine desire for a deal on both sides. There is still time.”
Mrs May blasted Labour for shifting its position on trade, free movement, and a second referendum despite promising to respect the original result.
She said: “They break their promises and are playing politics with peoples’ lives. It’s more important to work in the national interest. The Chequers plan is the only one on the table at the moment that does all the things I’ve set out.
“It protects jobs, brings an end to free moment, the jurisdiction of the European Court here, an end to vast payments to the EU every year and ensures we don’t have a hard border in Ireland.”
Mrs May stressed that she is upbeat about Britain’s future outside the EU despite being a Remainer during the Referendum campaign.
She insisted she wasn’t running a “damage limitation exercise” over Brexit. The PM said: “Yes, things will be different after Brexit.
“We will be able to work with other countries on trade deals that bring jobs and prosperity to the UK.
“It’s important that we set the UK at the forefront of key issues — AI and data, clean growth, the future of mobility, the ageing populations.
“We are addressing those challenges and putting in place the building blocks that really take this country forward.”
She added: “I genuinely believe there is a real opportunity for the UK post-Brexit and I feel it is an optimistic future.
“This is a great country. We have great people and I think our best days are ahead of us.
“But our future is in our hands. It is for us to grasp that. My message to people is that at this historic moment it is important for us to come together in the national interest.”
Mrs May also insisted her stance against Russia over the Salisbury poisonings has been vindicated.
The PM said: “It’s important not just that we stood up to it, but that many countries stood alongside us.”
On her Cabinet
THE Cabinet has lots of bounce – because they are a team of Tiggers, boasts Theresa May.
She admits that she often chuckles at her ministers’ quirks, and said their enthusiasm reminded her of the Winnie the Pooh character.
Chancellor Philip Hammond’s downbeat Brexit predictions has led to him being likened to Pooh’s miserable donkey pal Eeyore. The PM retorted: “I think I’ve got a Cabinet of Tiggers.
“Everybody is really keen on making sure we get a good deal from Europe and make the best of Brexit and make a real success of it.”
On Grenfell kids
CHILDREN who survived the Grenfell tragedy have been given pride of place in the PM’s study with a display of their artwork.
Mrs May has kept some of the colourful creations they made during a visit to mark the first anniversary of the London tower block blaze which claimed 72 lives.
She said: “We had some children from Grenfell and the surrounding area to an event we put on in the garden. Their finished work was so lovely, I’ve decided to keep it behind my desk.
“It really does cheer me up.”
The artwork includes a crown, stars in a jar, a mask and paper flowers.
The Sun on Sunday Says: Why May must be brave for Britain
YOU tell ’em, PM. She’s bang on to remind the democracy-deniers that we’ve already had a “people’s vote” on the EU.
In the largest vote ever recorded in Britain, we chose to leave the Brussels racket.
And as she reveals in our exclusive interview on these pages, Theresa May is determined to tell the world that we are getting out, no ifs, no buts.
Tory Conference this week will be testy. There remain serious splits in the party over Brexit but on one thing they must be united: nothing can imperil our exit.
But while the PM is right that a second referendum is for the birds, the country is constantly holding a referendum on her leadership.
On domestic issues it is Labour that seems to have an answer to everything — even if those easy solutions rely on made-up money and would be disastrous in practice.
Governments cannot just promise the world in airy-fairy speeches but, faced with an Opposition full of empty promises, the Tories must be radical. They cannot just deliver watered-down versions of whatever Jeremy Corbyn has cooked up.
There are plenty of brains in the Tory party. Let’s hear their ideas and a real vision of what Britain can be.
On that conference cold
THE dreaded lurgy which plagued Mrs May’s last conference has struck again.
With just three days to go before she makes her big speech in Birmingham, the PM is fighting off a stinking cold.
She has been taking medication and will have some early nights to avoid a repeat of last year when she had a coughing fit during her keynote address.
It was also marred by letters falling off the stage set and a comedian invading the platform to hand her a mock P45.
Asked if she felt under the weather, Mrs May quipped: “It’s all the hard work of preparing for the interview with you, Dave.” The PM had just returned from a gruelling trip to the United Nations in New York.
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She sniffled: “I’m not sure it is actually coming out as a proper cold. I’ve been over to the States and I think on the long flight you get a bit sort of... you know...”
Her diary has been planned “slightly differently” this year to ensure she keeps in tip-top condition for her speech.
And she joked that extra supplies of superglue had been ordered to ensure the conference slogan stays firmly in place.
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