Tag: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

MPs across the political divide should "abandon outrage" and attempt to "forge a consensus" over Brexit, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said. Theresa May travelled to Brussels earlier this week to make a special plea to EU leaders after delaying Tuesday's Commons vote on the deal, in anticipation of a heavy defeat. 'Serious trouble' Many of her own MPs are concerned that the controversial "backstop" plan in the withdrawal agreement, which is aimed at preventing a hard border in Northern Ireland, would keep the UK tied to EU rules indefinitely and limit its ability to strike trade deals. AdChoices Ms Rudd said she supported Mrs May's deal and advocated assembling a "coalition" - potentially reaching out to opposition parties to avoid what she called "the rocks of no deal". She said the country "will face serious trouble" if MPs "dig in against the prime minister's deal". Mr Farage added the treatment of Mrs May in Brussels this week had been a "shaming moment" for both the UK and the EU and that the PM's Brexit deal was now "dead". He said: "Our UK friends need to say what they want, instead of asking us to say what we want... because this debate is sometimes nebulous and imprecise." Mrs May said that, despite reports that the EU was unwilling to consider further clarification, she had talked to European Council President Donald Tusk, Mr Juncker and others, which "have shown that further clarification and discussion following the council's conclusions is in fact possible". But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "The last 24 hours have confirmed that Theresa May's Brexit deal is dead in the water. "Rather than ploughing ahead and dangerously running down the clock, the prime minister needs to put her deal to a vote next week so Parliament can take back control."