Don’t become ‘Theresa May mark 2’, Philip Hammond warns Tory leadership candidates
PHILIP Hammond has demanded Tory leadership contenders get real on Brexit to avoid becoming “Theresa May Mark II”.
The Chancellor said there appeared to be a real risk that like the outgoing PM, they could end up “stuck in a holding pattern”.
In another furious broadside, the Chancellor said people in Parliament “have to stop pontificating, get off their high horses” and understand they have to compromise to get an EU deal that will work.
It came after Sajid Javid and Matt Hancock became the latest contenders to try and explain how they would do things differently.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight Mr Hammond once more said a No Deal would be “catastrophic” – before adding that No Brexit would also be “a gross breach of faith with the public”.
He said: “My challenge to all the candidates is: Explain to me how you will avoid becoming Theresa May mark II, stuck in a holding pattern.
“An extension of time to try to renegotiate, when the EU have already said they have finished the negotiation and, indeed, have disbanded their negotiating team strikes me as not a very auspicious policy.”
He added: “The debate we’re having now is here, in the UK, about whether we are going to sign the Withdrawal Agreement or not, and about what kind of future relationship we then want to have – because the European Union is willing to talk to us about the shape of the future relationship.”
Matt Hancock revealed a five-step Brexit plan at the weekend where he insisted No Deal was “not available” as the Commons would block it.
He called for a time-limit to the Irish border ‘backstop’ – which has also previously been ruled out.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid ruled out an extension – and said he would pay Ireland £1 billion to cover the cost of a Hard Brexit.
Mr Hammond reiterated a deal was the only solution to the deadlock – and that MPs should make clear neither No Deal nor No Brexit could be “tolerated”.
He told the BBC: “We have a solemn obligation to find a solution which avoids both of those outcomes.
“That means that even at this late stage, a deal.
“It means people in Parliament having to stop pontificating, get off their high horses and understand that we will all have to give up something to get to a deal that will work.
"We will all be grumpy about it, we will all be dissatisfied. But in many ways that is the only way forward for the country.
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He went on: “If we end up with a deal that means half the people in this country think they achieved total victory and the other half think they have been totally defeated, that is not the recipe for unity in the future.
“And countries that are not unified are not successful.”
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