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'RESIGN!'
Brexiteer MPs tell Theresa May to her face she should QUIT over ‘abject surrender’ to EU
Last night EU leaders signed off a second Brexit delay until October to give Britain time to figure a way out of the chaos
BREXITEER MPs have told Theresa May to her face that she should quit as Prime Minister after signing up to an "abject surrender" of a six-month Brexit delay.
Sir Bill Cash said the PM should quit today, minutes after she insisted they had a "national duty" to pass her deal.
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He told MPs this lunchtime her deal undermined democracy, didn't take back control of our laws, and wasn't in the national interest.
And he blasted: "Will she resign?"
But she laughed it off and replied: "I think he knows the answer to that."
Last night leaders from across Europe signed off on a second delay to Brexit until the end of October, to give Britain time to figure a way out of the chaos.
But Mrs May told MPs she wanted to reach an agreement to leave as soon as possible and avoid taking part in the £100million EU elections.
"Let us resolve to find a way through this impasse... so that we can fulfil the democratic decision of the Referendum, deliver Brexit and move our country forward," she said.
"This is our national duty as elected members of this House – and nothing today is more pressing or more vital."
After another late-night crunch summit in Brussels:
- The PM met Jeremy Corbyn for fresh talks designed to find a way forward
- Mrs May vowed to continue her efforts to get Britain out of the EU by June 1 by convincing Parliament to back her deal.
- No10 officials said she would stay for as long as it takes to deliver Brexit, clinging onto power until possibly the end of the year
- But the prospect of a six-month delay was slammed by Brexiteers and welcomed by Remainers desperate to force a second referendum
- EU leaders were deeply split over the way forward - with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel on opposite sides of the debate
- Cross-party talks between Labour and the Government to find a way forward out of the Brexit mess
She said she hoped that Labour and the Tories could agree on a "single, unified approach" to put to MPs soon - which could include several tweaks to our future political declaration.
But if that doesn't happen then she will push a series of options for them to vote on to decide the way forward.
Top Brexiteer Steve Baker blasted the PM for ignoring the concerns of the DUP - who are propping up the Government's majority in the Commons.
He suggested she would have to end up going into government with Jeremy Corbyn if the Unionists pull the plug on their support in protest at the Brexit deal.
And May critic Mark Francois added: "Perseverance is a virtue, but shear obstinacy is not."
But Sarah Newton, who quit as a minister to back a soft Brexit, blasted: "Ignore the bullies on your backbenches and deliver the Brexit that was in our manifesto."
And Ken Clarke backed up the PM too, telling her to ignore the "vicious attacks made on her by more extreme right wing colleagues."
Any new leader will say, this hasn't worked, we want to start from scratch
David Davis
Fuming MPs have sworn to use the new extension to oust the PM and restart talks with the EU.
MP Anne Marie Morris said today: "We need someone to bring the party together and do what the country asked."
She said she understands the executive of the powerful backbench 1922 committee are discussing "changing the rules so we can have a proper election of a leader" and she wants to see them in place by June.
The PM is now 7/2 to be done by the summer after signing off on another extension, bookies Betfair said today, and Boris is the favourite to take over.
After six hours of tense talks which went on late into the evening, the PM agreed to a delay which could cost the country billions of pounds extra.
French President Macron's hardline approach to push the UK out sooner was shot down by other EU leaders including Germany's Angela Merkel, who wanted to give us more time.
They ended up compromising with a six-month delay and a review around June, but that can be cut if a deal is signed off.
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Brexiteers are fuming with the idea of staying in the EU for another six months.
David Davis told Radio 4 this morning: "There will be pressure for her to go.
"If she does go, a new leader will take over, then there will be a rest in the negotiations.
"Any new leader will say, this hasn't worked, we want to start from scratch, particularly on Northern Ireland issues."
John Whittingdale told Peston last night: "I do think that it is time for a change of leadership and I think that is becoming increasingly the view of more and more of my party."
Peter Bone added: "I expect her to say when she's leaving in the next few days and then the announcement of a Conservative leadership contest."
Even Iain Duncan Smith told the BBC: "I think the reality now is that is becoming the firm date for departure, the end of May, June."
He said this morning: "Given this latest acceptance of an Article 50 delay, she has to name a date for her departure now."
Jacob Rees Mogg said we should be out by now, but wouldn't be pushing to oust the PM over it.
He said today: "People expected to leave in the 29 March. We should have left the EU already, that’s what we need to deliver."
But the problem with their plan to kick her out is that the PM already faced a vote of no confidence vote in December last year, meaning she can't be challenged for another 12 months.
Tories have demanded the rules be ripped up to allow another one, but backbench bosses of the 1922 have said now isn't the time for that.
The Sun Says
THE new Brexit postponement is the final confirmation of Theresa May’s failure. She must now accept the game is up.
She has done her best. But she had one job and has not delivered on it. Nor can she. She has no workable plan to do so.
There is no deal the Prime Minister and Corbyn could cook up that would secure a majority. Scores of Labour MPs will rebel, maybe even quit, unless they get a second referendum which Mrs May must never accept.
And Tories will reject the customs union Corbyn wants, especially since it is a figment of Keir Starmer’s imagination.
There can be no UK-EU union where Britain has a say over trade policy, insists French President Macron.
Mrs May could have a fourth vote on her own deal. But a foolishly intransigent ERG hardcore will never back it.
And why would Remainers do so now?
They can just use the Brexit delay to plot a second referendum which they will skew against 17.4million Leave voters.
The Tory Party is in meltdown. The Government is paralysed, impotent and plummeting in the polls, as The Sun predicted it would if it failed on Brexit.
Their only hope, and Britain’s — since the alternative is Marxism and poverty — is a new leader. With a new Cabinet, new energy, new ideas for tackling our problems, more voter appeal and, we hope, some new Brexit strategy.
After last night, what is Mrs May waiting for? She cannot survive long.
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MOST READ IN BREXIT
Mrs May has said she will quit as PM - but only once her deal is passed.
Squabbling MPs have rejected the deal three times, forcing the PM to go into cross-party talks with Labour instead.
Tories fear she will have to sign up to a customs union which would tie our hands in future trade talks - and would split her warring party in to.
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David Davis believes Brexiteers will use 6 month Brexit delay to boot out Theresa May
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