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Tory resistance to the UK Prime Minister’s Brexit deal has been bolstered after Eurosceptics were warned that if the agreement goes through it could bring down the Government.<\/p>\nTory resistance to the UK Prime Minister’s Brexit deal has been bolstered after Eurosceptics were warned that if the agreement goes through it could bring down the Government.<\/p>\n
DUP support for Theresa May\u2019s administration in any confidence motion would depend on the deal being defeated or ditched by the Prime Minister.<\/p>\n
The DUP\u2019s 10 MPs would not back the Prime Minister if her Brexit deal, including the controversial Northern Ireland backstop measure, survives.<\/p>\n
The position means that Tory Eurosceptics, who had feared defeat for Mrs May\u2019s deal in the crunch vote on December 11 could result in the collapse of the UK Government, may now feel emboldened to vote against it.<\/p>\n
Between them the Conservatives and DUP have the parliamentary numbers to resist a motion of no confidence.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister depends on the DUP for her Commons majority, but the unionist party claims the Withdrawal Agreement thrashed out with Brussels breaches the terms of the confidence and supply deal struck with the Tories.<\/p>\n
Setting out his position, the DUP\u2019s Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said: \u201cWe will vote against her plan because it is bad for the United Kingdom, certainly bad for Northern Ireland given the legal advice that we have forced out of the Government today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labour has indicated it will table a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister in the wake of a defeat on such a pivotal issue for Mrs May.<\/p>\n
But Mr Dodds said that if the Brexit deal is defeated it would be \u201csomewhat illogical\u201d \u2013 having seen off the Withdrawal Agreement \u2013 \u201cto turn around the next day and say \u2018let\u2019s vote the Government out\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n
He warned there would be \u201cimplications\u201d if Mrs May pushed ahead with her plan, telling ITV\u2019s Peston: \u201cThat\u2019s the risk that the Prime Minister is running.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if there was not a general election, the lack of a majority would make it difficult for the Conservatives to get any legislation through Parliament \u2013 including the bill to implement the Brexit deal.<\/p>\n
The DUP\u2019s position was set out to Tory Brexiteers at a meeting of the European Research Group (ERG), led by Jacob Rees-Mogg.<\/p>\n
Mr Rees-Mogg told the private meeting: \u201cThe DUP will support the Government in a confidence motion if the Withdrawal Agreement is voted down.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the risk of losing them and having an election is if the Withdrawal Agreement goes through.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the latest indication of Government efforts to avoid a defeat on December 11, Chief Whip Julian Smith put in an appearance at the meeting.<\/p>\n
Sources at the ERG meeting described it as \u201cfull and frank\u201d and \u201ccandid\u201d, with the Chief Whip left in no doubt about what would be required to win over would-be rebels.<\/p>\n
A Government source said the Whips\u2019 Office and the Prime Minister were in \u201clistening\u201d mode and would do \u201cas much as possible\u201d to get support in \u201cone of the biggest votes in recent parliamentary history\u201d.<\/p>\n
The source said ministers were \u201clooking at all options to secure the vote\u201d.<\/p>\n
But it is understood that no detailed policy proposals were put forward by the Government at the meeting.<\/p>\n
One potential measure reportedly being floated as a way to win over would-be rebels is a \u201cparliamentary lock\u201d which would give MPs a vote before the Northern Irish backstop is implemented.<\/p>\n
But a senior Eurosceptic said the ERG had \u201cseen no text for any amendment\u201d other than those which had already been put down.<\/p>\n
And Mr Dodds dismissed the \u201cparliamentary lock\u201d, pointing out that \u201cit doesn\u2019t have any effect\u201d on the Withdrawal Agreement thrashed out with Brussels which contains the contentious measure.<\/p>\n
The mounting problems for Mrs May come after the Government was forced to publish the legal advice offered to the Cabinet by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox.<\/p>\n
It warned the backstop could result in the UK becoming stuck for many years in \u201cprotracted and repeating rounds of negotiations\u201d with no lawful power to exit.<\/p>\n
And it made clear that Brussels could apply to an arbitration panel for Northern Ireland to remain in the EU customs area while the rest of the UK left.<\/p>\n
At Prime Minister\u2019s Questions, the Scottish National Party\u2019s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, called on Mrs May to take responsibility for \u201cconcealing the facts on her Brexit deal\u201d from MPs and the public.<\/p>\n
But Mrs May rejected the claim, insisting the document contained the same information as a shortened statement made to MPs by Mr Cox earlier this week.<\/p>\n
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said that the 33-paragraph document revealed \u201cthe central weaknesses in the Government\u2019s deal\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Cox found that the protocol setting out the terms of the backstop, which is aimed at preventing a hard border with Ireland, \u201cdoes not provide for a mechanism that is likely to enable the UK lawfully to exit the UK-wide customs union without a subsequent agreement\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis remains the case even if parties are still negotiating many years later and even if the parties believe that talks have clearly broken down and there is no prospect of a future relationship agreement,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Under the arrangements, \u201cfor regulatory purposes, GB is essentially treated as a third country by NI for goods passing from GB into NI\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
And he said that \u2013 despite assurances from both London and Brussels that it is intended to be temporary \u2013 the protocol would \u201cendure indefinitely\u201d under international law until another agreement takes its place.<\/p>\n