Theresa May denies lying to Tory rebels as ringleader Dominic Grieve threatens to bring her down over ‘slavery clause’

THERESA May today denied that she'd misled rebel Tories by promising to compromise on key Brexit laws - as they threatened to bring down her Government.

And the PM also vowed to stop Remoaner MPs from wrecking Brexit - saying Britain has a "really bright future" outside the EU.

But rebel ringleader Dominic Grieve accused Mrs May of trying to bring in a "slavery clause", warning: "We could collapse the Government."

The PM struck a deal with pro-EU Tory backbenchers to stop them rebelling against her in the Commons.

But they accused her of watering down her promise when it emerged MPs wouldn't be able to tell the Government what to do if Brexit talks fail.

The PM told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "The EU Withdrawal Bill is an important bill, it's part of the legislation we need in order to leave the European Union... but as we put the bill through there were some concerns.

"I did indeed meet a group of my fellow MPs, I listened to their concerns and I undertook to consider their concerns.

"I said I'd put an amendment down in the House of Lords, and I did exactly that."

The amendment tabled by the Government states that if ministers fail to strike a deal with the EU, the Commons will hold a debate and vote.

But MPs won't be able to dictate what the next steps should be - despite demands from Tory rebels led by Dominic Grieve.

Mr Grieve told the BBC's Sunday Politics today: "We could collapse the Government.

"And I can assure you I wake up at 2am in a could sweat thinking about the problems that we have put on our shoulders."

He added: "I can't save the Government from getting into a situation where Parliament might disagree with it.

"The alternative is that we’ve all got to sign up to a slavery clause now, saying whatever the Government does, when it comes to January, however potentially catastrophic it might be for my constituents and my country, I'm signing in blood now that I'm following over the cliff.
"And that, I can tell you now, I'm not prepared to do."

Today Mrs May said giving Parliament the final say over negotiations would be unacceptable.

She said: "We can't have a situation where every time we make a decision we have to go back and have a lengthy debate.

"We need to recognise the role of Parliament but ensure that Government's hands can't be tied during the negotiations and that Parliament does not overturn the will of the people."

Expressing a burst of optimism on Brexit, the PM added: "There's a really bright future for the UK outside the European Union, and it's this Government that's going to deliver it."

Tory MP Phillip Lee, who quit the Government over Brexit, claimed that other ministers are ready to resign too.

He told Sky News today: "Since I've made that decision I've had conversations with ministers at all levels who are concerned about the direction of travel."

Dr Lee added: "I'm trying to avoid the worst of both worlds.

"I'm trying to bring Leave and Remain together, because I fear at the moment we're ending up at a destination that nobody voted for and I don't think we have the consent of the people to do that."

The PM faces a series of Parliament showdowns in the coming week.

Tomorrow the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to the Lords - where anti-Brexit peers will attach more wrecking amendments to it.

MPs will then vote on the new Lords amendments on Wednesday, and Mrs May faces a tough fight to stop Tory rebels teaming up with Labour to defeat the Government.

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