Theresa May's mixed messages over 'no deal' Brexit at heated PMQs. During fractious exchanges in PMQs, the prime minister was asked by former cabinet minister Esther McVey if Britain would leave the EU "come what may". Mrs May told the Commons that "the United Kingdom will leave the European Union on 29 March 2019". But earlier in the sessions when asked what would happen if MPs vote down the deal, she replied: "If you look at the alternative to having that deal with the European Union it will either be more uncertainty, more division or it could risk no Brexit at all." After PMQs, a Downing Street spokesperson said Mrs May had been "clear on her determination" to leave the EU as scheduled. When asked if no deal was still a possibility, they replied: "Yes. The only thing certain is that if we don't go forward with an agreement is that there will be uncertainty - no deal on one hand, no Brexit on the other." The apparently contradictory answers came after Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said parliament will not allow a "no deal" divorce to happen. She also said in a BBC radio interview that "Brexiteers may lose their Brexit". Mrs May is heading to Brussels for talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. It comes ahead of a summit on Sunday at which remaining EU member states are expected to approve the withdrawal agreement struck with Brussels last week. News has learnt the PM's cabinet agreed she should adopt bolder language when she travels to Brussels to flesh out the political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and EU. The current document is just seven pages long, but senior ministers were shown a secret 20-page draft that will form the basis of a key meeting between Mr Juncker and Mrs May. Before her trip to Brussels, the PM faced Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn across the despatch box in heated exchanges. Mr Corbyn said the government's handling of Brexit was a "shambles". "It fails the prime minister's red lines, fails Labour's six tests, and it fails to impress the new Northern Ireland minister (John Penrose), who just hours before he was appointed said the deal is 'dead'," the Labour leader told MPs "Instead of giving confidence to the millions of people who voted both Leave and Remain, this half-baked deal fails to give any hope that it can bring the country together again. "Isn't it the case that parliament will rightly reject this bad deal, and if the government can't negotiate an alternative then it should make way for those who can and will." The PM claimed Mr Corbyn had failed to read the contents of the deal, replying: "Never mind a second referendum, he hasn't got a first clue." She added: "He's telling Leave voters one thing and Remain voters another - whatever (Mr Corbyn) will do, I will act in the national interest." As well as criticism from Labour, the PM faced Tory demands to renegotiate her Brexit deal. Brexiteer Andrew Rosindell told her he was "deeply unhappy" with the withdrawal agreement and urged her to lead the country in a new direction by "completely cutting away the tentacles" of the EU. Neil Parish, who is chair of the environment, food and rural affairs committee, expressed his disquiet over the Irish border backstop. He claimed it "threatens the integrity of the UK" and advised the PM to listen to concerns raised by MPs. Nigel Dodds, the Democratic Unionist Party's Westminster leader, accused Mrs May of "deleting" previous assurances over the Irish border issue. He said: "In the December joint report agreed between the European Union and the United Kingdom it was agreed that Northern Ireland would have the final say on whether or not it diverged from the UK single market and was subjected to single market European rules with no say, why has the Prime Minister deleted all reference to that in the withdrawal agreement?"
Mrs May responded: "The December joint report referred to a decision being taken by the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly which sadly we do not have in place today." Uk Politics World News GE2018 Brexit G20 OJW Donations Welcome. [ Ссылка ]
