Lengthy Brexit delay would be ‘suicide note’ for Tories, says minister

Theresa May has been warned that accepting a lengthy delay to Brexit would be a “suicide note” for the Tory party.

British Government minister Nadhim Zahawi issued the stark warning about the “seismic” changes to British politics that would be unleashed if the UK’s delayed departure from the EU meant May 23 European Parliament elections went ahead.

The British Prime Minister’s efforts to stave off a lengthy extension to the Brexit process by securing Labour support for a deal have also foundered, with Jeremy Corbyn accusing the Government of failing to offer any “great change” to Mrs May’s red lines.

The UK Education Minister Mr Zahawi said the situation needed to be resolved quickly in order to avoid the “existential threat” posed if the UK remained in the EU at the time of the elections next month.

“It would be, I think, a suicide note of the Conservative Party if we had to fight the European elections,” he said.

He said that if Labour could not sign up to a joint approach, then MPs should be forced to find a compromise through a preferential voting system in order to resolve the situation.

“We need to do that quickly because, I think, going into the EU elections for the Conservative Party, or indeed for the Labour Party, and telling our constituents why we haven’t been able to deliver Brexit, I think would be an existential threat,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Downing Street offered further contact with the Opposition this weekend but Labour leader Mr Corbyn expressed his frustration with the lack of movement from the Government side.

Speaking to reporters in Plymouth he said: “The Labour position is a customs union with the European Union, access to European markets and the retention of regulations for environment, consumers, and workplace rights as a base on which we can build – a dynamic relationship which means we can never fall below them.

“We’ve set all that out. I haven’t noticed any great change in the Government’s position so far. I’m waiting to see the red lines move.”

British Chancellor Philip Hammond insisted the Government had “no red lines” in the talks and he was “optimistic that we will reach some form of agreement with Labour”.

Asked about the prospect of a second referendum being part of that compromise, he said: “We should try to complete this process in Parliament, that’s the right way to do it. But we should be open to listen to suggestions that others have made.

“Some people in the Labour Party are making other suggestions to us, of course we have to be prepared to discuss them.

“Our approach to these discussions with Labour is that we have no red lines, we will go into these talks with an open mind and discuss everything with them in a constructive fashion.”

We are engaged in these talks in good faith but the Government perhaps has to show a little more flexibility than it seems to have done so far

We are engaged in these talks in good faith but the Government perhaps has to show a little more flexibility than it seems to have done so far

The talks broke down on Friday night after shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the Government was not “countenancing any changes to the actual wording of the Political Declaration”, the blueprint for the future UK-EU relationship.

The UK’s Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: “We are engaged in these talks in good faith but the Government perhaps has to show a little more flexibility than it seems to have done so far.”

Pressed on whether any agreement must have a second referendum attached to it, she told Today: “We are not saying anything definitively but we have a position.”

She added: “I think a People’s Vote has its difficulties. I think if we had that vote tomorrow, I believe Leave would win.”

European leaders are considering Mrs May’s request for another delay to Brexit, with a decision expected at Wednesday’s emergency summit in Brussels.

Mrs May has asked for a delay until June 30 but wants to terminate any extension before the European polls if she is able to get a deal through Parliament.