Theresa May set to be worst Prime Minister EVER, Tory MPs blast after she loses control of Brexit
The House of Commons voted to force another delay to Brexit last night
THERESA May is on course to be "the worst PM in living memory", furious Tory MPs blasted today.
Brexiteers hit out at the Tory boss after she lost control of Brexit and held a second day of talks with Jeremy Corbyn.
Mrs May's top team are trying to hammer out a deal with Labour which could include a customs union or even a second referendum.
As the future of Brexit hangs in the balance:
- Ministers rushed cut a deal in time for next week's EU summit
- MPs voted to delay Brexit beyond next week and rule out No Deal
- Philip Hammond sparked fury by speaking in support of a second referendum
- A Tory rising star warned Jeremy Corbyn would win a snap election
- The Commons was shut down by a massive water leak
The Prime Minister finally lost control of the Brexit process for good last night as the Commons voted to push through a law which forces her to seek a further extension to Article 50.
The plot, cooked up by Yvette Cooper and Oliver Letwin, passed by a single vote after jailbird MP Fiona Onasanya backed it.
Brexiteer Simon Clarke blasted: "It is madness that Parliament has left the EU in sole charge of whether or not we can leave without a deal, and to lose by one (tainted) vote is beyond frustrating."
This is Zimbabwean democracy
Nigel Evans
Senior Tory Nigel Evans said the defeat should be a wake-up call for Mrs May.
He stormed: "What is happening here? This is Zimbabwean democracy in our beloved country.
"I want to cry - that’s how insane this is! Theresa - wake up or be judged the worst PM in living memory."
Ministers claim the motion passed yesterday actually makes No Deal more likely, by restricting the terms on which the Government can liaise with the EU.
The House of Lords is today debating whether or not to approve the law - with a final decision not expected until at least 4am.
REFERENDUM 'ON TABLE'
Tory and Labour frontbenchers today held a second day of talks designed to hammer out a compromise deal on Brexit, after Mrs May and Mr Corbyn met for two hours yesterday.
Arriving for the negotiations, Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said the two sides would discuss a second referendum.
He told reporters: "We have been discussing Labour's alternative plan and issues such as confirmatory votes. We had discussions yesterday and we are going to continue them today."
Top teams from both parties spent four and half hours in the Cabinet Office, breaking for a lunch of sandwiches.
A Downing Street spokesman said this evening: "The Government and the Opposition hope to meet again tomorrow for further work to find a way forward to deliver on the referendum, mindful of the need to make progress ahead of the forthcoming European Council."
A group of Labour MPs have written to Mr Corbyn urging him to compromise in order to get a deal with the Prime Minister.
Tory MPs fear Mrs May will sign up to keep Britain in the customs union after Brexit.
That became more likely today as the DUP hinted they could back the soft Brexit option as a "staging post" towards a permanent solution in future.
What is the customs union and what would staying in mean for Brexit?
THE customs union is one of the central poles of the European Union.
All member states agree not to impose any tariffs on each others' goods.
And they jointly agree what taxes to slap on imports from countries outside Europe.
That means there is no need for checks on goods flowing between EU countries - include supplies for manufactured products such as cars, which can cross borders several times during the construction process.
But it also stops members from cutting their own trade deals with other countries, because goods from outside the EU would then need to be checked if they were moved from one European state to another.
Brexit supporters are keen to quit the customs union, giving the UK independent control over its own trade policy.
But Remainers want to stay members, claiming it's the only way to ensure seamless trade with the rest of Europe.
Even that may not be enough to avoid all border checks unless Britain signs up to single market guidelines for goods regulations.
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The PM is keen to push a deal through the Commons in time for next Wednesday's emergency EU summit in Brussels.
If the Tories and Labour manage to thrash out a joint agreement, they will put it to MPs on Monday or Tuesday.
If not, Mrs May will pit her existing deal against a softer alternative and force the Commons to pick between them.
This evening German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Irish PM Leo Varadkar met to discuss the latest Brexit updates.
Mr Varadkar said the EU must be "patient and understanding of the predicament" Britain is in, but warned that any extension must provide a credible way forward.
Chancellor Merkel said it was an "important message" that MPs had effectively voted to stop No Deal last night, and hoped it would "open up possibilities of an orderly exit".
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