Tory Brexiteers accuse Downing Street of breaking promise to shake up Theresa May’s negotiating team
Eurosceptics say that the PM had promised two seasoned trade negotiators but No10 say there will be 'no change' to the team led by Olly Robbins
A FRESH row erupted between Tory Brexiteers and No10 after it was accused of going back on a promise to shake up the PM’s negotiating team.
Just 12 hours after the PM’s Commons victory on Tuesday night, Tory MPs’ delicate truce also began to crack when loyalist ministers accused hardliners of tricking Theresa May.
Arch Tory Eurosceptics say Theresa May’s chief of staff Gavin Barwell had promised to bring in two seasoned trade negotiators as part of a deal for their votes.
The European Research Group want the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO Julian Braithwaite and the Department for International Trade’s chief negotiator Crawford Falconer to go to Brussels for new talks.
But No10 yesterday insisted there were would be “no change” to the PM’s team, and it will still be lead by Whitehall mandarin Olly Robbins.
Angry former Tory leader Iain Duncan-Smith branded the U-turn “absurd”.
After another meeting with Mr Barwell yesterday, senior Tory Brexiteers said No10 were having a second change of heart over the two men.
Sir Bernard Jenkin said: “I am assured the Government is still looking at this.
FRESH BREXIT ROW
“The UK wants a free trade agreement with the European Union. The experts who understand free trade agreements and WTO rules should be included.”
In a dig aimed at Mr Robbins and Mrs May’s de facto deputy David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, a senior ERG source added: “Some people in Government still want a customs union with the EU.
“So it’s no wonder they don’t want the free traders in the room who will explain how it all works”.
Meanwhile, a loyal Tory minister accused Tory Brexiteer hardliners of tricking Theresa May by giving her their backing for a divorce deal renegotiation.
All but one of the 60-strong ERG voted for the PM’s plan to win legally binding changes to the Irish backstop on Tuesday night.
But some of them were accused of already bragging about letting her down to enforce their dream of a no deal hard Brexit.
The senior minister told The Sun: “Some of the ERG are now saying their vote means nothing and that whatever changes she gets they won’t vote for the amended deal. Who knew??”
The People’s Vote campaign published new analysis yesterday that suggested many Tory Brexiteers were just using the row over the backstop as an excuse to torpedo Mrs May’s deal.
Of the 118 Tory MPs who voted it down two weeks ago, only 20 initially objected to the Withdrawal Agreement solely on the basis of the backstop.
Most instead complained about how the deal would make the UK a rule-taker, didn’t match the promises of the referendum, or said the “divorce bill” was too high.
Pro-EU Tory MP Anna Soubry added: “What last night’s votes confirmed is that there is no majority for either a ‘no deal’ Brexit or for the Prime Minister’s original plan – which even Theresa May herself now does not support”.
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