'THE DEAL IS THE DEAL'
Theresa May refuses to renegotiate her hated Brexit deal with EU – despite facing certain defeat by MPs
THERESA May has again refused to re-negotiate her hated Brexit deal with the EU, telling MPs that it's the only deal on the table.
The Prime Minister refused to speculate about what she would do if her deal was thrown out by MPs next month as expected.
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Around a hundred Tory MPs are set to vote against or abstain on her deal, meaning it's unlikely to pass at all.
In a Commons grilling with MPs today, she appealed to them to "focus on the choice that lies in front of them" and warned there were some that wanted to "frustrate Brexit".
And she said: "What has been made clear from the European Union is that this is the deal that has been negotiated and this is the deal that people need to focus on when they are looking at the vote."
She repeatedly batted away questions about a second referendum or taking the deal back to Brussels to get a better one, saying only "the deal is the deal".
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"My focus is on the vote that will take place on December 11 here in this House," she said.
"This is an important point in our history. It is a vote on which we will be deciding whether we deliver on the decision of the British people."
Elsewhere in her grilling by influential MPs today:
- The confidence and supply agreement with the DUP "remains in place" but Mrs May swerved questions on whether it would survive in future
- We CAN'T withdraw from the hated Northern Ireland backstop - but the PM hoped it would never be used
- Mrs May refused to say what her Plan B would be if her plans were thrown out by the Commons - but No Deal plans WOULD be ramped up
- She told MPs that Britain would NOT become poorer after we leave - but couldn't say that growth would be the same as being in the EU.
- And the whole meeting descended into chaos when Tory MP Tom Tugenhat joked that our future relationship would be more like a "friends with benefits" arrangement
The Prime Minister hopes of a second referendum today by saying there's no way Britain can stay inside the bloc.
She insisted that she had to respect the result of the historic 2016 vote, and that another one would collapse her deal.
Mrs May vowed: "Being inside the EU is not an option, we have to look at what is the best option outside the EU.
"The best option outside the EU, which delivers on the vote, but is also best for jobs and economy, is the approach of the Government."
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But last night one of her former ministers warned that she could end up backing a fresh referendum.
Jo Johnson told ITV's Peston show: "It’s quite possible that she could change her mind as she did on the question of whether or not there would be a snap election in 2017."
MP Sarah Wollaston, who wants another vote, said that there was still time for another divisive campaign.
But Mrs May slapped her down, saying that Britain would have to extend Article 50, which could throw her whole deal up in the air.
"You would have to extend Article 50, then you are in the basis of renegotiating the deal," she said.
"Anything like that reopens the negotiations, re-opens the deal."
Mrs May insisted it was "our duty to deliver" for the people on the Leave vote.
"They gave us their view, we should... make that happen," she added.
Meanwhile Mrs May got a boost today as Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom said she WOULDN'T quit the Cabinet and will get behind her Brexit deal.
The Brexiteer, who was rumoured to be considering her position in Government, has told her constituents that Mrs May's deal was the only offer on the table - and offered the route to a good future relationship.
She wrote: "We have to make sure that nothing happens that can stop Brexit. This has been a challenging journey for many of us, and compromises had to be made on both sides.
"I believe the political declaration offers the route to a good future relationship, and therefore my conclusion is that I must support the deal, and our Prime Minister."
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Today ministers warned that Britain will face more terror attacks, crime and illegal immigration under a No Deal Brexit.
It's part of plans by No.10 to try and force MPs to back Mrs May's Brexit deal when it comes to the Commons on December 11.
But senior intelligence chiefs told The Sun today that Mrs May's deal would surrender UK control of defences forces to the EU when we do go.
They say it will also “compromise” vital British intelligence, “threatening Western security”.
The damning views are expressed in a letter signed by ex-MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove and Falklands War vet Maj Gen Julian Thompson.
Under Mrs May’s deal, officials have agreed to share information including DNA, fingerprints and car registrations to fight crime, terror and cyber security threats.
Yesterday the Treasury and Bank of England released doom-laden warnings of what would happen in the event of No Deal Brexit.
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House prices would plummet, the pound would soar and a huge hit to the economy would occur if there wasn't a set agreement in place, they warned.
Later today the PM will fly to Argentina for the G20 summit with Chancellor Philip Hammond.
While there Mrs May will meet US President Donald Trump for the first time since he publicly trashed her Brexit deal.
Donald Trump says Theresa May's Brexit agreement ‘sounds like a great deal’ for EU but may hinder trade between UK and US
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