Coveney: Defend Brexit deal from collapse

Tánaiste Simon Coveney voiced the concerns last night by saying Ireland, the EU and other parties must stand up and “defend” the deal from the onslaught as Ms May attempted to face down her opponents by insisting it is this deal or nothing.

Just hours after a mammoth cabinet meeting on Wednesday, where she said her government “collectively” signed off on the deal, Ms May awoke yesterday to a flurry of resignations from her government.

In a day of drama, six ministers — including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, pensions secretary Esther McVey, and three junior ministers — stepped down before 11am, with speculation over environment secretary Michael Gove’s position after he declined to replace Mr Raab unless he can renegotiate the deal.

Dozens of Conservative MPs also handed in no-confidence letters demanding May resign, including arch-Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said that Mr Raab, Ms McVey, or former Brexit secretaries Boris Johnson and David Davis should lead the party.

And while Ms May faced down her opponents yesterday evening, insisting “leadership is about taking the right decisions, not the easy ones”, the chaos has led to growing fears the deal — and May’s future — is now on the line.

Speaking on RTÉ News last night, Mr Coveney called on hard-line Brexiteers “to actually read the deal” and accept Britain leaving the EU is a “complex” situation that cannot be easily achieved by spin and slogans alone.

.@simoncoveney says he hopes people who were worried that #Brexit would have an unintended consequence that would be very negative for them can be reassured by the comprehensive text pic.twitter.com/JITrYs6v9C

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 15, 2018

Mr Coveney said “the problem is that what is happening in Westminster right now is hard-line Brexiteers are being confronted with the reality of Brexit” and rowed in behind Ms May by saying: “Those of us who fought so hard to get the text agreed need to defend it now.

“We need to explain it, and ensure that people who mightn’t even have read it yet and have rejected it are actually challenged in terms of the political choices that they’re making.”

A spokesperson for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar declined to comment on the crisis yesterday, saying “the Taoiseach set out his views last night” at Wednesday’s Brexit deal press conference.

However, Mr Varadkar spoke by phone yesterday to Ms May to offer his support.

Mr Coveney’s staunch defence of the deal and the sight of the deputy Irish leader rowing in so firmly behind Ms May has underlined concerns in Ireland that the long-fought-for deal is now at risk of collapsing due to the chaos in Britain.

Should Ms May be faced with a no confidence motion in her leadership in the coming days — a move triggered by 48 Conservative MPs formally requesting leadership change — she would face an immediate vote.

It is unclear if Ms May or her opponents have enough support to win the battle.

Theresa May calls on her party to unite behind her #Brexit deal, warning of "deep and grave uncertainty" if they don't

Live updates: https://t.co/jLlmrZaE8p pic.twitter.com/h5kQwlDmEm

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 15, 2018

However, if she loses, it will plunge the Brexit deal into fresh turmoil and almost certainly cancel the now confirmed EU summit on Sunday week.

Even if Ms May stays in power, a narrow victory would risk severely weakening her position before the crucial House of Commons and House of Lords Brexit deal votes next month.

And with European Council president Donald Tusk last night insistent there is no room for further negotiation, a Brexiteer-instigated snap election in Britain cannot be ruled out.

Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street yesterday evening, a defiant Ms May said simply it is her deal or nothing.

“I believe with every fibre of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people.”