Brexit news latest: Cross-party talks break up without agreement amid Tory fury at Theresa May

James Morris13 May 2019
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The latest cross-party Brexit talks have broken up without agreement amid growing Tory fury at Theresa May's leadership.

Downing Street said on Monday night that it would continue to seek an agreement as the Prime Minister turned her attentions to Cabinet on Tuesday morning.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "In preparation for an update to Cabinet tomorrow, today's meeting took stock across the range of issues discussed in talks over the last few weeks.

"We continue to seek to agree a way forward in order to secure our orderly withdrawal from the EU."

A Labour Party spokesman also said: "Talks continued tonight and the shadow cabinet and the trade unions will be updated on what has been discussed."

Theresa May pictured on Monday during a visit to the Advance Charity offices in west London
Victoria Jones

Monday's session of talks began as fury reached new heights in the Tory ranks about Mrs May's leadership and her attempt to strike a deal with Jeremy Corbyn's party.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer Conservatives, said the May 23 European elections looked set to be "difficult" and pleaded with disillusioned Tories to stick with the party for the sake of Mrs May's successor.

Ministerial aide Huw Merriman used stronger language, saying the party faced a "mauling".

It came as an opinion poll suggested the Tories could slump to fifth place in the contest, which is taking place because Brexit has been delayed.

And Nigel Evans, executive secretary of the 1922 Committee, said colleagues were looking at opinion polls and fearing they will be "toast" under Mrs May's leadership.

Patience also appeared to be wearing thin in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet.

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed “this is a crunch week” and communities secretary James Brokenshire said that if the plug is pulled on the talks, the “next step” will be to hand power to Parliament to decide.

Mr Corbyn, a lifelong Eurosceptic, also found himself under pressure from frontbenchers in the Labour ranks.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer warned it was "impossible" to see how an agreement between the Conservatives and his party could clear the Commons unless it guaranteed the deal would be put back to the public for a "confirmatory vote".

And Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said he thought the way out of the impasse was a "confirmatory ballot" on Theresa May's agreement, saying it would be "difficult" for his party to assist in the UK's exit from the EU without another referendum.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, leader of the Brexit Party which is threatening to cause so much damage to the Tories in the European elections, has said he will stand once more to become an MP.

Mr Farage, who has so far stood unsuccessfully in seven Parliamentary elections, said on LBC when asked if he would stand again in a snap poll: “I’m going to have to, of course. It’s a duty, it’s a duty, it’s a duty.”

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