Michael Gove urges the Prime Minister to step up No Deal warnings on TV and internet
The Environment Secretary and Cabinet ministers have called for honest public briefings on the consequences of leaving the EU without a deal
MICHAEL GOVE yesterday urged the PM to step up No Deal warnings on TV and the web – with Brexit just 51 days away.
The Environment Secretary and Brexit-backer joined Cabinet colleagues in calling for more public briefings about the consequences of leaving the EU without an agreement.
It came as Amber Rudd urged the PM to be “straight with the British people” if No Deal really was being seen as a prospect.
Insiders said the Work and Pensions Secretary felt the Government had to make public some of the official briefings Cabinet have seen about the “dire” fallout of a No Deal.
Critically, insiders said Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Education Secretary Damian Hinds joined those backing Ms Rudd.
One source said: “We’re negotiating with our own MPs and if they see how dangerous no deal would be, they may actually vote for the Withdrawal Agreement.”
Earlier in the crunch meeting, the PM told the Cabinet that Brexit must and will still happen on March 29.
She failed to offer any hint of an extension to the Article 50 negotiating deadline and told Ministers talking publicly about a delay were being counter-productive.
THE SUN SAYS
THERESA May will, we believe, secure a new deal from Brussels which MPs can back. But only if Remainers don’t derail Brexit entirely next week. It must not happen.
The EU seems to be urging Ireland to soften up over the hated backstop. Chief Eurocrat Martin Selmayr reportedly suggests a legally binding assurance that it won’t shackle Britain for ever.
Angela Merkel says there’s still time. The DUP’s Arlene Foster tells everyone to compromise. Mrs May is working on options. It all points in the right direction.
Which makes it even more likely desperate Remainers will launch another Brexit-destroying bid next Thursday, thinly disguised as a “postponement”.
It MUST be defeated, as it was last week. If not, the revived negotiation is over. Brussels will sit back, relax and watch Brexit unravel.
And Leave voters will never forgive the mainly Labour MPs who sabotage it.
But Tory Brexiteers must face reality. If any eventual Brussels concession is legally watertight, they must swallow it.
They, and much of the public, would rather leave without a deal, of course. We sympathise. But they are outnumbered. The Commons’ Remainer majority will do anything to avoid No Deal.
If Tories reject an improved agreement, they will hand Remainers the power to kill Brexit. And they will all deserve the blame.
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk