Tough lady not for turning, may just be heading towards a conciliatory tone on the coming Brexit negotiations with the EU. Other tough ladies holding leverage on Theresa May are the North Irish DUP leader Arlene Foster and the Conservative Tory from Scotland Ruth Davidson.
Theresa May urged to adopt Labour-style approach to Brexit – politics live | The Guardian |
In his interviews this morning Michael Gove, the new environment secretary and one of the leaders of the Vote Leave campaign, stressed the importance of achieving a consensus on Brexit (see 8.12am) – although he said almost nothing about what this might mean in practice.
For a much clearer idea of what this might mean, do read William Hague’s column in the Daily Telegraph today (paywall). Hague is a former Tory leader and a former foreign secretary. He backed remain in the EU referendum, but he won the Tory leadership in 1997 because he was seen as a Eurosceptic and he probably has more clout with hardline Tory leavers than many of his remain colleagues.
Essentially Hague is backing calls for a cross-party commission to take charge of Brexit. This is an idea also being pushed by, among others, Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister (here), and Yvette Cooper, the senior Labour MP (here, in the Guardian).
But the Hague argument is quite detailed. Here are the main points, Hague says …
- Theresa May needs to change and adopt a new approach because a minimalist approach to Brexit is risky.
- May should the economy, not controlling immigration, the priority in the Brexit talks.
“Change the emphasis given to the UK’s objectives, with a clear indication that economic growth will have priority over controlling the number of people entering the country for work. This would show a readiness to accommodate the views of Scottish Conservatives, business organisations and, to some degree, opposition parties, within certain parameters.”
- The UK should stay in the European Economic Area (ie, adopt the Norway option) for two years after Brexit, as part of the transition.
- The UK should grant free movement to EU citizens after Brexit if they have a job.
- Calls for a cross-party commission to help decide who the government implements Brexit.
Call in the CBI, the Institute of Directors, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the TUC, the first ministers of the devolved governments, and the leaders of all the opposition parties – yes, even Corbyn – leading MPs of all parties, and say: “If you are willing to discuss how to make this work within these parameters, come in and we will be open to your views. There isn’t a perfect solution, but on how to conduct a transitional period and how to help the economy through Brexit as a priority we will work with you. Otherwise, we will just have to try to do this without you.”
96% drop in EU nurses registering to work in Britain since Brexit vote
[Update-1]
○ Theresa May ministers in ‘secret Brexit talks’ with Labour | DW |
- As Theresa May attempts to cobble together a majority, her vision of a hard Brexit seems to be slipping away.
Some of her most senior ministers have reportedly been meeting with the Labour party to secure a soft Brexit.
○ Political support grows for cross-party approach to Brexit negotiations | The Guardian |
○ EU leaders frustrated by UK’s uncertain approach to Brexit | The Guardian |
Continued below the fold …
Scottish Tories expected to vote as bloc to protect Scotland’s interests
Scotland’s new group of Conservative MPs will be expected to vote as a bloc to protect the nation’s interests at Westminster, adding to the pressures facing Theresa May’s ailing government.
The Scottish Tories had their best election result since 1983 last week, returning 13 MPs, after the party’s Scottish leader, Ruth Davidson, ran an autonomous campaign which sidelined May. It prioritised Scottish policies, causing tensions with the prime minister’s key advisers at Downing Street.
The scale of that success, with the Tories toppling two of the Scottish National party’s most powerful figures at Westminster in Alex Salmond and the deputy leader, Angus Robertson, has greatly increased Davidson’s influence inside the Conservative party at a UK level.
In a sign of her confidence about her new-found power, Davidson went public on Saturday to say she had sought and received cast-iron guarantees from May that the Conservative deal with the Democratic Unionist party would not lead to any retreat on gay rights or equal marriage policy.
The socially conservative DUP, which is closely aligned to evangelical Protestantism, has resolutely blocked any equal marriage measures in Northern Ireland. Davidson is the most prominent gay leader in the Conservatives, and she plans to marry her Roman Catholic partner, Jen Wilson.
DUP’s Arlene Foster will ask Theresa May for a deal that keeps paying out
As Sam McBride, the Belfast News Letter’s political editor, has pointed out, the clues to the DUP’s demands lie not in its 2017 general election manifesto, which was written on the assumption of a thumping Tory majority, but a 2015 document, the Northern Ireland plan, which was drawn up precisely for a hung parliament.
The 12-page route map sets out a list of 45 DUP priorities including an increased budget for Stormont, further cuts in corporation tax toward matching the Republic’s 12.5% rate, and real-terms increases in health and education spending.
The list goes beyond the economic, to a demand to “strengthen the union”, including national events to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021, incorporating Northern Ireland prominently in UK branding, legal protection for displaying the union flag and new legislation on Orange Order parading.
It also includes a demand to remove allowances from the seven Sinn Fein MPs who refuse to take their seats at Westminster and the UK-wide redefinition of a “victim” to exclude perpetrators. This would ensure that under Northern Ireland law those who were shot by police while attempting to murder would no longer be regarded as victims on a par with those they had succeeded in killing.
Abortion and LGBT issues do not feature in the 2015 list and are unlikely to be raised by the DUP in the talks.
The party is, however, very likely to want reassurance on Brexit. Its main demand will be to maintain an open “soft” border with the Republic, but it is also worried that it might be achieved by implementing passport and customs controls between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Foster has repeatedly said this would be “a red line” in the Brexit negotiations for the DUP.