PMQs: Bone rattles May
The first PMQs since Theresa May let it be known that there is a draft Brexit deal was predictably dominated by the subject. The Prime Minister kicked off with her optimistic summary of the deal: The UK will take back control of its borders, its money and its laws, she claimed. It will leave the Common Fisheries Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. This upbeat interpretation was slightly different in tone to George Osborne’s Evening Standard front page, which tonight bears the headline: “EU takes back control.” Subtle as always from the Prime Minister’s no.1 fan.
Even Jeremy Corbyn asked about Brexit, for the first time in weeks. The Labour leader launched straight in – the deal is a failure on its own terms he said, it breaches the Prime Minister’s own red lines, and ultimately she will be presenting a false choice to parliament. He called the choice “a botched deal or no deal.”
Corbyn predictably raised Jo Johnson’s resignation – May can’t even convince her own party to back her, he said, which is rich coming from Corbyn. May hit back with Labour MP Keir Starmer’s statement from earlier in the week – that “Brexit can be stopped.” That doesn’t really tally with Corbyn’s statement this week that Brexit can’t be stopped, May pointed out. So both parties are a little divided. Who knew? Internal division racks the Tories and the Labour party is hardly headline-making news these days.
Corbyn was canny in the manner in which he brought up Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab’s blunder from earlier in the week. He didn’t realise that Dover to Calais was such an important trade route for Britain, Corbyn reminded the chamber. It was an easy line of attack – the Brexit secretary doesn’t even understand the most basic facets of Brexit. Theresa May’s response was rather petulant, along the lines of: Actually we do know what we’re doing, I promise!
The fact that May’s performance and position today was weak but Corbyn still couldn’t deliver any genuine blows should be of great concern to Labour. Even now he struggles to connect.
The only real blow came from Tory Brexiteer and ERG champion Peter Bone: “If the media reports about the EU agreement are in any way accurate you are not delivering the Brexit people vote for and today you will lose the support of many Tory MPs and millions of voters across the country.” The warning resonated. Last week Remainer Jo Johnson’s resigned. Bone’s question illustrated how deep May’s troubles run. At a moment when she should be strong (she has a deal) May is losing support across the entire political spectrum of her party.
As I write, the cabinet is still meeting and a plan to hail the deal on the steps of Number 10 in time for the news bulletins at 6pm had to be scrapped. Rightly, MPs rebelled and said that she must address the Commons first on the situation, before grandstanding for the media. Quite right.
Verdict from PMQs? Bad from May, bad from Corbyn. Nothing new here.
One point to Peter Bone.