A key part of Theresa May’s argument for her Brexit withdrawal agreement was undermined by her ally, Amber Rudd, when the new cabinet member said that parliament “will stop” a no-deal Brexit.
The prime minister, and her allies, have used the threat of a no-deal Brexit against MPs and the public, repeating the mantra “No deal is better than a bad deal.” Meanwhile, warnings that crashing out of the EU without a deal could lead to civil unrest and food shortages have never been far from front pages.
The chaos that would apparently come about from no-deal scenario is a key part of May’s strategy to win over MPs to support her unpopular withdrawal agreement.
However, the strategy was undermined today, as Rudd told the BBC: “It is my view that parliament, the House of Commons, will stop ‘no deal.’
“There isn’t a majority in the House of Commons to allow that to take place,” she said, contradicting the PM.
Rudd has only been in her new job as work and pensions secretary for days, replacing Esther McVey, who quit last week over her opposition to May’s deal. Earlier this year, Rudd resigned from her role over the Windrush Scandal, after misleading MPs over immigration-removal targets.
Rudd’s comments were leaped upon by journalists, with The Guardian’s Owen Jones saying that “the threat of ‘no deal’ is a myth,” while the BBC’s Norman Smith posted: “Amber Rudd appears to have just torpedoed the PM’s threat.”
While Labour MPs who oppose both a ‘no deal’ and May’s deal also weighed in.
Despite seemingly seeing off a coup attempt by Jacob Rees-Mogg and his Tory faction, the European Research Group, May is unlikely to get her deal through parliament.
As well as the expected opposition from Labour, May faces defeat should rebel Tories and her Northern Irish allies, the DUP, follow through with threats of their own and vote against it.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.