Chancellor Philip Hammond begged businesses to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal on last-ditch conference call

PHILIP Hammond has pleaded with big business to help save Theresa May’s controversial Brexit deal in a late night call.

The Chancellor held a conference call with a series of company bosses on Wednesday evening to ask them to publicly support the agreement, alongside Business Secretary Greg Clark.

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A transcript of the conversation has been leaked to The Sun.

During it, Mr Hammond told the bosses: “It would be extremely helpful to hear business voices welcoming the deal and warning against the risk of a no deal approach.

“It is essential we repeat and repeat again the logic of pursuing a deal rather than a no deal approach.”

Asked by one captain of industry what in particular they should say, the Chancellor replied: “Anything you can do to emphasise the demand a no deal Brexit would do.

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“Also emphasise that business understands there will be compromise.

"What matters is that the outcome is infinitely better than the alternative of a no deal.”

Mr Hammond added: “We need to create a sense of momentum that will carry this through”.

Mr Clark also told the call that their target should be members of the House of Commons who want to vote down Mrs May’s deal in a showdown next month.

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The Business Secretary added: “MPs need to understand the importance of this for the employees in your firms”.

The phone call was said by the Treasury to be just a chance for ministers to explain Mrs May’s deal to business.

But the revelation that Mr Hammond and Mr Clark issued specific pleas to them will spark accusations of a new ‘Project Fear’ stitch up by hardline Brexiteers.

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Chairman of BAE Systems Sir Roger Carr, who was on the call, was one of the first to speak out to back the Government yesterday.

Sir Roger told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “We have to see this over the line.

“We have to play the cards we have not the cards we wished for.”

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