'This is a period of complete chaos' Plaid Cymru MP welcomes idea of unity government to manage Brexit

Wales
Politics
Wednesday 18 July 2018 at 4:35pm

A Plaid Cymru MP has welcomed the suggestion by senior Conservative Anna Soubry for a government of national unity to help deal with Brexit.

Jonathan Edwards told ITV News, "I made the case that there's going to be a period of complete paralysis in Westminster.

"The only way out of this mess ultimately is for sensible people to come together to offer an alternative.

"The Labour party are talking about they want a general election - but that won't change anything because they've got the same policy effectively. The only way out of this is for a sensible majority from cross-party benches to work together to deliver a Brexit that will protect people's jobs and wages."

Anna Soubry told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it should be made up of Plaid Cymru, the SNP and "other sensible, pragmatic" MPs.

"We simple cannot go on like this," she said.

Ms Soubry said the whipping operation during Brexit votes on Tuesday evening had been an "appalling spectacle".

"These nonsenses of threatening general elections and votes of confidence in the Prime Minister and as I actually said to the deputy chief whip 'bring it on' because I shall be the first in the queue to give my vote of full confidence in the Prime Minister," she said.

"Problem is, I don't think that she's in charge anymore. I've no doubt Jacob Rees-Mogg is running our country."

Simon Hart MP said he doesn't think a government of national unity is the answer

Conservative MP Simon Hart told ITV News, "I know lots of colleagues in other parties who are very pragmatic about it. I think the time has come for them not to vote on party lines but to vote on national interest lines. You don't need a government of national unity to do that."

The Prime Minister avoided a damaging defeat - which could have had major implications for her leadership - by just six votes in the Commons on Tuesday night.

On a night of high drama in Westminster on Tuesday, the Prime Minister thwarted a rebel Tory move which could have forced her to try to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU by 307 votes to 301, helped by Labour Brexiteers.

But 12 Conservatives broke ranks to back the customs union measure, even though Tory whips told would-be rebels that there would be a confidence vote if it passed - potentially resulting in the collapse of Mrs May's administration.

Mrs May was defeated on a separate amendment to her flagship Trade Bill, which will require her to seek continued UK participation in the EU's system for regulation of medicines after Brexit.

Welsh Conservative MP Guto Bebb also resigned from his role as Defence Minister after voting against the government's Customs Bill and urged Theresa May to "stand up to Brexit bully boys".

Pressure on the Prime Minister continued to mount as a poll gave Labour a five-point lead over the Conservatives.

An indication of how precarious Mrs May's position is came in a YouGov poll for the Times, which put the Conservatives on 36%, down one point from last week, behind Labour on 41%, up two points.