Rory Stewart says cross-party Brexit talks the 'smart thing to do' even if May risks splitting Tories
The new Secretary of State for International Development has said cross-party Brexit talks were the "smart thing to do" and suggested he would support the Prime Minister if she promised Labour a customs deal or a second referendum.
Rory Stewart, who was given his new role earlier this evening following Gavin Williamson's sacking as Defence Secretary on Wednesday, told ITV's Peston show that in the circumstances Brexit cross-party talks were the best way to ensure the UK left the EU "responsibly" and "pragmatically".
On Tuesday, the Tory chief whip Julian Smith told the Cabinet a sustainable majority for a Brexit deal would most likely see the government having to commit to a customs union or a confirmatory referendum.
With many Conservative MPs opposed to these options, any Brexit deal based on these outcomes would go through with majority support from Labour, and minority support from the Tories a situation that could risk Theresa May splitting her party.
Mr Stewart told Robert Peston that Mrs May should take that risk if "she was forced to".
"She would like to get this through with Conservative votes. But very sadly, there are 30/40 Conservative colleagues who have steadfastly refused to vote for a Brexit deal," he said.
"She must deliver a Brexit deal. We've got to do it responsibly and if that means working cross-party on this issue, not in general, we don't agree with Jeremy Corbyn on 99% of things, but on Brexit, there's a reason to do that.
"This isn't a settlement for this week, it's something that's got to last for 30 or 40 years, it's got to last through changes of government, changes of parties."
Responding to some Conservative backbenchers threats to leave the party if they were forced to back such a deal, Mr Stewart said that it was "a risk" but he would "rather Steve Baker and others voted for the Prime Minister’s withdrawal agreement."
He continued: "But if they won’t, if they are insisting on a no-deal Brexit, which is not something the majority of the country want and is not something the majority of Parliament wants, then there is no alternative in delivering Brexit other than to have to reach across the aisle.”
"The solution is going to have to be a deal. In the end that's the logic. People voted to leave the European Union. We need to deliver Brexit and we need to do it responsible and pragmatically and that means a Brexit deal.
Barry Gardiner, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, told Robert Peston he was happy Mr Stewart was in the Cabinet and hoped the two parties could reach a Brexit compromise.
"We are trying to reach a compromise that the British people can look at and say 'you know what, that's good enough for me. I understand that half of my fellow citizens disagree with me, and therefore I can't have everything that I want.'
"But going for that middle ground, going for the compromise and seeing Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May in negotiations, trying to work this through, is a sensible place for British politicians to be."
On Tuesday, Jeremy Corbyn saw off an attempt to commit Labour to a confirmatory referendum on any Brexit deal when the proposal was defeated in a marathon meeting of the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to finalise the Labour platform for next month's European elections.
The manifesto agreed upon will back a second referendum only if a general election and a Labour deal cannot be delivered.
In response to this, Mr Gardiner said: “Can I say, it is an unambiguous commitment but it is a conditional commitment, and I think that's what we need to understand.
"So when you say if only we'd given an unambiguous one, it was unambiguous, it said very clearly if we cannot negotiate the deal that we'retrying to negotiate at the moment.
"We said if it's going to be the bad deal Theresa May has already concluded with the European Union or a no deal, then there's an unambiguous commitment there to opt for, to back the option of a second public vote.”
Asked about Gavin Williamson's sacking on Wednesday, Mr Stewart said: “It’s a difficult thing to judge. I would say though that Mark Sedwill, who’s the current cabinet secretary who made the decision with the Prime Minister, those are people whose judgement I absolutely trust and I am sure they followed the right process.”