Mounting a fresh assault on her Chequers plan, the former Brexit Secretary leaped on the PM’s new declaration that there would be no compromises during negotiations “that are not in our national interest”.
Mr Davis told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show said: “Except in the national interest? That is an incredible open sesame door”.
Insisting that it is inevitable that the PM will have to give more ground under her current plan, he added: “The other argument I made at that Chequers Cabinet was this won’t be the last step.
“You know, they will not accept this.”
The former Cabinet minister also revealed he will join hard Brexiteer rebels to vote against any Brexit deal based on Chequers plan during a final Commons showdown, after having resigned over it.
And he dubbed her blueprint – where the UK would agree to a common rule book with the EU on goods but not services – is “almost worse than being in”.
Some Tory eurosceptics last night suggested Mrs May’s compromsies hint was an attempt to prepare voters for more climbdowns at a crucial meeting of EU leaders in the Austrian town of Salzburg in two weeks time.
One senior party figure said: “What the f*** was that about? The only two explanations are either utter incompetence, or No10 laying the ground to give away something else before conference.
The Sun Says
As more and more European leaders turn on Michel Barnier and the EU’s negotiating team for pushing Britain too far, now is the time to tell them it’s DEAL or NO DEAL.
What the Prime Minister cannot do — either for the country’s future or for her own — is betray the millions of people who voted to leave.
No concessions on freedom of movement. No cash unless it comes with benefits that far outweigh the price tag.
She left the door alarmingly ajar yesterday by saying she wouldn’t row back unless it’s in the ‘national interest’.
David Davis is right to be concerned that the EU will see that as an invitation to make more demands.
She needs to slam that door shut and tell Brussels that if they don’t want a deal, we’ll be fine on our own.
And continue to plan for a clean break.
Mr Davis’s broadside came as the number of Tory MPs opposing the Chequers plan on both sides of the party’s Brexit divide continued to pile up ahead of Parliament’s return tomorrow (TUES) for an Autumn session of high drama.
In a second major headache for Mrs May, a new challenge on her also emerged from a senior former Remainer MP.
Ex Tory minister Nick Boles called on her to dump Chequers and apply for Britain to join the European Economic Area when Brexit happens as a stopgap to negotiate from a stronger position.
Pro-EU Tory MP Sarah Wollaston added: “Why is Government carrying on as if the ERG & Corbyn’s votes aren’t set to sink the Chequers Plan?
“This chaos is leaving the rest of us at higher risk of a disastrous No-Deal.”
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox also refused to rule out having to make any more compromises, saying: “We have to understand this is a negotiation”.
But Dr Fox also warned against rumours of a fresh putsch to oust Mrs May and install Boris Johnson being orchestrated by her forme election chief Sir Lynton Crosby.
He argued: “Changing the leader doesn’t change the parliamentary arithmetic and that is part of the problem we have at the present time”.
But the trade boss also reopened a furious Cabinet spat to slam Chancellor Philip Hammond’s predictions that a hard Brexit would blow a £80bn hole in the Treasury’s coffers by 2030.
Dr Fox said: “The idea we can predict what our borrowing will be 15 years in advance is a little hard to swallow”.
- GOT a news story? RING us on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
Source: Read Full Article