Barnier Reply: Dismisses Chequers White Paper | 17 comments (17 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Rees-Mogg's ERG Now Running Theresa May (none / 0)

'Forces of darkness have taken over': Soubry accuses May of capitulating to hardline Brexiters | The Guardian |
The Conservative rebel Anna Soubry has accused Theresa May of capitulating to "the forces of darkness" in her party and warned that, as a result, she and her fellow soft Brexiters may not back the final deal the prime minister obtains from Brussels.
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Soubry's intervention followed a dramatic week at Westminster in which Conservative factions have openly battled for control while May tried desperately to keep her job and negotiate Brexit.
On Monday, the Broxtowe MP gave a barnstorming speech during the debate on the customs bill, voicing anger at May's decision to do a deal with Rees-Mogg's European Research Group to head off a damaging rebellion. Until then Soubry had supported the prime minister's new softer Brexit strategy that was signed off at Chequers a fortnight ago.
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The MP said she believed the ERG were "ruthless bastards" who would stop at nothing because they believed their cause was "bigger than anything else". She added: "Now that the forces of darkness have got the prize in sight, they are going for it. I'm afraid that Theresa has embraced these people, they are now running Theresa."
ERG members and supporters include a range of Tory backbenchers, from veteran anti-Europe campaigners, such as John Redwood and Bill Cash, through to former ministers David Jones and Steve Baker, and young MPs including Andrea Jenkyns, who want to force out May. Rees-Mogg is its chair.

Today's aggressive comments by Messrs Varadkar and Barnier show why we are right to be leaving the mafia-like European Union.
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) July 20, 2018