Steve Baker: 80 MPs vote against Brexit Checkers Plan

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Reuters

Nearly 80 Conservative MPs are ready to vote against the Prime Minister's Checkers plan, a former Brexit minister warned.

Steve Baker, who dropped the case, said the opposition level means Theresa May will face a "massive problem" at this month's conference.

He told the Press Association that the party would suffer a "catastrophic break" if Ms. May respected the Checkers agreement.

The firm supported the plan when it met at the prime minister's campaign residence in July.

The deal, which resulted in the resignation of then-Brexit Secretary David Davis and former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, establishes a plan for future relations with the EU once the Kingdom United will leave in March 2019.

Mr. Baker is the former president of the Eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG), which plans to publish his own proposals for Brexit before the Conservative Party conference.

In the interview, Mr. Baker said, "If we come out of the conference hoping to have the auditors come in with Labor votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that the Conservative Party would suffer the catastrophe. divided that up to now we have managed to avoid. "

He added, "We are reaching the point where it is extremely difficult to see how we can save the Conservative Party from a catastrophic split if Checkers' proposals are postponed.

"I have absolutely no pleasure in recognizing it, but I am looking at the mood of colleagues and the Conservative Party mood in the country and I am very concerned for the future of our party."

Mr Baker said that he hoped the party would emerge from the conference "united around the idea that we can either leave by accepting the EU offer, or we have to leave without agreement ".

But he said that Checkers' proposal was "not acceptable as a sustainable basis for our partnership," adding, "What we need outside the conference is a new resolution that these are the choices before us. "

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Despite his criticism, Mr. Baker said he was not calling for a change of direction, adding that Checkers' conservative critics "do not want to be in conflict with our own Prime Minister."

He said that they would give him "absolutely all the support" necessary to forge a free trade agreement – on which ERG plans should focus.

But with 80 members of Mrs. May's party ready to vote against her Brexit plan, and Labor stating that they would also do so, he said it would be "fanciful" to wait for a parliamentary approval.

The intervention came after a week of criticism of Operation Checkers by former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.

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Reuters

This week-end, he sparked controversy with a column in the Mail on Sunday, calling the Prime Minister's plan a "suicide jacket" across the UK, with the detonator in Brussels hands.

A number of high-ranking Conservatives criticized the language he used, with a minister saying it was a "disgusting moment" in politics.

But other colleagues of Mr. Johnson said the critics were "terrified by his popular call" and that he "told the truth to power".

But current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt – also in the Mail on Sunday – called on people to join May, supporting her to hold the line "in the face of intense pressure".

When will an agreement be reached?

An agreement on the UK withdrawal agreement was to be reached in time for a European summit in October, with a statement from both parties on the future relationship.

However, a number of senior officials said the deadline could be extended in November.

The UK must leave the EU on March 29, 2019.