Brexit: May to face questions from MPs amid claims she is preparing for deal with Labour – live news
Rolling coverage of the day’s political development as they happen, including Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs and May giving evidence on Brexit to the Commons liaison committee
Theresa May is taking PMQs today, and then spending 90 minutes giving evidence to the Commons liaison committee (the one comprising chairs of all the Commons select committees – a sort of Commons captain’s XI, although that might be crediting them with more glory than they deserve). The last time she answered questions in public was almost three weeks ago (her Commons statement after the EU summit agreeing the Brexit delay until October). In theory this means these two sessions should be ripe for producing news, although experience suggests that there is no limit to May’s ability to get through a public grilling without giving anything away.
May will be speaking in the context of reports in Conservative- supporting papers claiming she is close to doing a deal with Labour to get her Brexit plan through the Commons. This is from the Daily Mail story, by Jason Groves and Jack Doyle.
The Tories may have to accept a permanent customs union to get Brexit through parliament, the cabinet was warned yesterday.
In a blunt analysis, the government’s chief whip Julian Smith said there was no chance of passing a version of Mrs May’s deal without Labour’s support – and warned that the government could be ‘sunk’ if it tried.
Brexiteers still believe Mrs May can win round Tory rebels by making changes to the Northern Irish backstop, but the prime minister appears increasingly convinced that support from Labour is the only way to get the stable majority she needs for a divorce deal and the trade talks to come.
Downing Street sources insisted last night that the government remains opposed to joining a customs union with the EU after Brexit – Labour’s number one demand – but leave supporters fear Mrs May will agree with Labour a form of customs union in all but name.
TELEGRAPH; May ‘on verge of caving in to Labour’ #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/GU8F6pMonm