William Hague predicts Brexit chaos will force a snap election within WEEKS amid stalemate in Parliament
- William Hague told businessmen in the City of London an election could happen
- Former Tory leader correctly predicted a snap election would be held in 2017
- Speculation is mounting amid a stalemate in Parliament over the Brexit deal
- Theresa May’s deal was crushed by a landslide majority of 230 on Tuesday
William Hague (file) has predicted chaos over Brexit could force a general election within weeks amid a stalemate in Parliament
William Hague has predicted chaos over Brexit could force a general election within weeks amid a stalemate in Parliament.
The former Tory leader made the claim in a briefing for businessmen in the City of London in the aftermath of the crushing defeat for Theresa May’s Brexit plans.
Lord Hague correctly predicted the last snap election in 2017 and warned the chances of another are currently being ‘underplayed’.
Calling a snap election is one idea being considered by some Cabinet ministers in the aftermath of the record-breaking 432 to 202 defeat on Tuesday night.
In a briefing with Citigroup clients yesterday, Lord Hague said ‘the media are underplaying the chances of a general election in the coming weeks’, one person at the meeting told the Financial Times.
A minister told the paper: ‘William is right: chaos will eventually lead to a general election.’
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Calling an election would mean giving into demands from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn there needs to be another vote.
Mrs May would need to get the support of two thirds of MPs to call an election again – the same process she used in April 2017.
Many in Westminster think a snap election would produce a similarly ambiguous response as last time, when Mrs May lost the Tory majority.
The PM herself warned MPs yesterday there was a risk no party would get a majority and an election would do nothing more than deepen the chaos facing the country.
The former Tory leader made the claim in a briefing for businessmen in the City of London in the aftermath of the crushing defeat for Theresa May’s (pictured last night in Downing Street) Brexit plans
Mrs May has spent today meeting Opposition MPs to try and find a way forward after Tuesday’s humiliation.
The PM and her Cabinet have been holding a frantic round of cross-party meetings after she held out an olive branch following a failed Labour bid to oust her.
Tory Eurosceptics including David Davis, DUP leader Arlene Foster, and Green MP Caroline Lucas were among the key players spotted out and about in Whitehall today as efforts to forge consensus are ramped up.
However, Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon have caused fury by flatly rejecting the overture, insisting they will not talk until the government rules out leaving the EU without a deal. Mrs May has said the option must stay on the table, and dismissed calls to delay the exit date from March.
Calling an election would mean giving into demands from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today in Hastings) there needs to be another vote
But it has emerged she could face a major uprising within government over a bid by Tory MP Nick Boles to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Boles is tabling an amendment that would empower backbenchers to push through legislation extending the Article 50 process by nine months – effectively avoiding a cliff edge.
He told the Evening Standard that around 20 ministers are ready to resign if Chief Whip Julian Smith tries to order them to oppose the amendment, which would be considered alongside Mrs May’s ‘Plan B’ on January 29.
A number of Cabinet members are also said to have vowed that they will not oppose the mechanism. Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested he supported the idea in a conference call with business leaders this week.
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