Theresa May hits back at Cabinet colleagues after they float rogue Brexit options

Theresa May has slapped down Cabinet ministers Amber Rudd and Andrea Leadsom after they went off-script to float Brexit policies not backed by the Government.



Work and Pensions Secretary Ms Rudd last night said a second EU referendum was “plausible,” while Leader of the Commons Ms Leadsom talked up a so-called ‘managed no-deal’ Brexit.

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the former was a “danger” while the latter was “not something which is available”.

He said: “The Work and Pensions Secretary has been clear on three things: the priority is to get the deal through Parliament, she doesn’t want a people’s vote or referendum and she’s asked all colleagues to support the Prime Minister’s deal.

“But the Prime Minister has been very clear on the dangers of calling another referendum. She is focused on winning the vote on the deal that’s been agreed.”

On the intervention from Ms Leadsom, he said: “The Leader of the House was very clear that this is not government policy. This is not something which is available.”

And he added: “The best mitigation against no deal is passing the Prime Minister’s deal.”

Last night Ms Rudd told the Peston show on ITV: “I have said I don’t want a people’s vote or a referendum in general but if Parliament absolutely fail to reach a consensus I could see there would be a plausible argument for it.”

And Ms Leadsom told the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning that a managed no-deal Brexit could be “an alternative solution that the European Union” could back if MPs cannot agree on a deal.

Her comments came just two days after Justice Secretary David Gauke told a Cabinet meeting that a managed no-deal was "not a viable option" because it was not on offer from the EU.

He added: "The responsibility of Cabinet ministers is not to propagate unicorns but to slay them."