The Cabinet war over no-deal Brexit escalated today as ministers openly clashed over Britain’s future with Europe.
Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt – a Brexiteer – went public in defence of crashing out of the EU – arguing it is better than accepting a bad deal.
But Amber Rudd, the Remainer Work and Pensions Secretary, hit back online tweeting a link to a CBI warning about the dangers of no deal to business.
Theresa May’s senior ministers are deeply split over what to do if her deal cannot be pushed through Parliament after Tuesday’s 230-vote rout.
Ms Mordaunt insisted today the EU had to believe a no deal Brexit was still an option to win new concessions from Brussels and make the deal acceptable to Tory rebels.
Other ministers – led by Business Secretary Greg Clark and Justice Secretary David Gauke – have warned no deal is so bad they would resign to stop it.
The splits come as Mrs May has been holding talks with rival political leaders to try to come up with a Brexit Pan B in the wake of her humiliating defeat.
She held a ‘constructive’ calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch PM Mark Rutte last night, and is expected to have more calls with EU leaders in the coming days.
And she will today hold meetings with many of her Cabinet ministers in No10 today to discuss Brexit and how the cross-party talks have gone.
Senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper became the latest politician to draft laws that would seize control of the Brexit process from the Government.
Theresa May’s (pictured today leaving Downing Street) senior ministers are deeply split over what to do if her deal cannot be pushed through Parliament after Tuesday’s 230-vote rout
The Cabinet war over no deal escalated today as Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt (pictured in Downing Street today) went public in defence of crashing out being better than accepting a bad deal
Ms Mordaunt insisted today the EU had to believe a no deal Brexit was still an option to win new concessions from Brussels and make the deal acceptable to Tory rebels
Remainer Cabinet minister Amber Rudd warned of the dangers of businesses of a no deal Brexit on her Twitter this morning
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay (left) and Environment Secretary Michael Gove were among those attending meetings in Downing Street today
But the PM faced a fresh onslaught from Boris Johnson, who condemned her for failing to try to remove the Irish backstop as he made a thinly-veiled leadership pitch.
Following a debate on last night’s Question Time, Ms Mordaunt launched her staunch defence of preparing for no deal today.
She said: ‘The upsides of leaving outweigh the downsides of staying/No Deal disruption.
‘It’s only when no deal is better than a is believed by the EU that we’ll maximise our chance of a deal.
‘Not honouring the result of the referendum would be appalling.’
Asked about the comment today, Mrs May’s official spokeswoman today said: ‘The PM has always said that this country’s best days lie ahead and her focus is on leaving the European Union with a deal, that is what she believes is the way to leave in a smooth and orderly way.’
Mrs May today held talks with most of her senior ministers in Downing Street today where they will discuss how her talks with rival political leaders to come up with a Brexit Plan B have gone.
But she is not expected to hold any more meetings with MPs from rival political parties today.
Ms Cooper’s proposals are an evolved version of a plan produced by Tory Nick Boles earlier this week.
If it were to pass, the Bill would force the Government to delay exit day if there is no deal in place by March 5.
The new version of the draft laws removes the idea of handing control of negotiations to a group of senior MPs after it was criticised.
But the development of the plan on the Labour benches after it was originally a Tory idea will fuel fears in Downing Street a cross-party alliance wants to remove the Government from talks.
The new developments come as it emerged five Tory ministers warned Mrs May yesterday they would resign if she did not offer a free vote on a Plan B Brexit.
Mr Boles confirmed it was from the same team who drafted his plans earlier this week. Neither version can make progress without a dramatic suspension of the normal rules of Parliament
Senior Labour MP Yvette Cooper has become the latest MP to draft laws that would seize control of the Brexit process from the Government
MPs are expected to stage a series of votes on possible options on January 29 after Mrs May’s Brexit deal was rejected by a landslide on Tuesday.
But Westminster expects the Prime Minister to continue trying to push her deal through largely unamended.
Ms Cooper’s draft Bill has been placed on the Commons order paper for Monday.
Mr Boles confirmed it was from the same team who drafted his plans earlier this week.
Neither version can make progress without a dramatic suspension of the normal rules of Parliament.
But the idea was boosted today as former Clerk of the Commons Lord Lisvane said the plans were ‘competently drafted’ in an interview with Politico.
While MPs work on their own plans for Brexit, Mrs May is expected to continue working with opposition politicians to find a way forward today.
One Cabinet minister told the Telegraph May would be ‘wise’ to allow a free vote because ‘there are definitely people who would resign over it.’
The group of five, thought to be among 20 ministers who could walk, visited the Prime Minister in No 10 and warned her directly that they were prepared to quit.
In other developments today, Boris Johnson is calling on the Government to ‘use Brexit to unite the country’ and focus on the issues that drove the vote for EU withdrawal.
The pointed intervention comes as Mrs May scrambles to try and get the Brexit agenda back on track after the Commons overwhelmingly rejected her plans.
Speaking at JCB headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire on Friday, Mr Johnson said: ‘Yes, it (Brexit) was about democracy.
‘But that vote was also triggered by a feeling that, in some way, the people of this country have been drifting too far apart and in areas where we need to come together.’
Labour former prime minister Gordon Brown used a speech in Edinburgh on Thursday to call on the Government to extend Article 50 by a year in order to consult the public.
Mr Brown said Mrs May’s Brexit stalemate has left Britain ‘more divided than during the three-day week of the 1970s or during the miners’ strike of the 1980s’.
The PM was expected to use the next few days to continue talks on Brexit and make telephone calls to other EU leaders.
Mrs May will not be attending the Davos summit in Switzerland next week, Downing Street confirmed.