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| Anna Soubry threatens to quit Tory party if Brexiters take over | Anna Soubry threatens to quit Tory party if Brexiters take over |
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| Leading pro-Europe backbencher Anna Soubry has threatened to leave the Conservative party if an arch-Brexiter such as Jacob Rees-Mogg or Boris Johnson is elected as leader. | Leading pro-Europe backbencher Anna Soubry has threatened to leave the Conservative party if an arch-Brexiter such as Jacob Rees-Mogg or Boris Johnson is elected as leader. |
| In an escalation of continuing party infighting over Europe, the former minister said the prime minister was “in hock to these 35 hard Brexiteers” led by Rees-Mogg over negotiation with the EU. | In an escalation of continuing party infighting over Europe, the former minister said the prime minister was “in hock to these 35 hard Brexiteers” led by Rees-Mogg over negotiation with the EU. |
| But in an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Soubry singled out his rightwing social views as a reason to abandon the party if, as some hope, he is chosen to replace Theresa May. | But in an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Soubry singled out his rightwing social views as a reason to abandon the party if, as some hope, he is chosen to replace Theresa May. |
| She said: “Somebody like Jacob [Rees-Mogg], with his views on things like abortion, a man who says he’s had six children and never changed a nappy, somebody who says that even if you were to be raped by your father you wouldn’t have a right to choose to have a termination – I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stay in a party led by somebody like him.” | She said: “Somebody like Jacob [Rees-Mogg], with his views on things like abortion, a man who says he’s had six children and never changed a nappy, somebody who says that even if you were to be raped by your father you wouldn’t have a right to choose to have a termination – I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stay in a party led by somebody like him.” |
| Soubry also suggested the powerful pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, which Rees-Mogg leads, had undue influence in government, forcing May to rule out staying in some form of customs union. | Soubry also suggested the powerful pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, which Rees-Mogg leads, had undue influence in government, forcing May to rule out staying in some form of customs union. |
| She said: “I’m really cheesed off about the way the whole Brexit thing is going. It feels like – and I think there’s evidence to support this – Theresa is in hock to these 35 hard Brexiteers. They don’t represent my party, but more importantly they don’t represent people who voted leave.” | She said: “I’m really cheesed off about the way the whole Brexit thing is going. It feels like – and I think there’s evidence to support this – Theresa is in hock to these 35 hard Brexiteers. They don’t represent my party, but more importantly they don’t represent people who voted leave.” |
| Souby’s comments come after she urged May to “sling out” arch-Brexiters from the party. Speaking to BBC Newsnight, she said: “If it comes to it, I am not going to stay in a party which has been taken over by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson. They are not proper Conservatives. | Souby’s comments come after she urged May to “sling out” arch-Brexiters from the party. Speaking to BBC Newsnight, she said: “If it comes to it, I am not going to stay in a party which has been taken over by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson. They are not proper Conservatives. |
| “Something is going to have to give, because if it doesn’t not only will we get Jacob Rees-Mogg as our prime minister, we will get a devastating hard Brexit which will cause huge damage to our economy for generations to come.” | “Something is going to have to give, because if it doesn’t not only will we get Jacob Rees-Mogg as our prime minister, we will get a devastating hard Brexit which will cause huge damage to our economy for generations to come.” |
| Soubry added: “Unless Theresa stands up and sees off these people she is in real danger of losing huge swathes of not just the parliamentary party but the Conservative party.” | Soubry added: “Unless Theresa stands up and sees off these people she is in real danger of losing huge swathes of not just the parliamentary party but the Conservative party.” |
| She expanded on the criticism to ITV on Tuesday, claiming the government had no electoral mandate for a hard Brexit. | She expanded on the criticism to ITV on Tuesday, claiming the government had no electoral mandate for a hard Brexit. |
| She said: “We know what people were saying to us on the doorsteps, and it was a rejection of what people perceived as a hard Brexit, and they don’t want that. There’s a way that we can deliver a Brexit that works for our country, and the really interesting thing is the amount of Tory MPs working with Labour MPs, forming that consensus. If we had a vote in parliament, the majority of MPs would not vote for a hard Brexit.” | She said: “We know what people were saying to us on the doorsteps, and it was a rejection of what people perceived as a hard Brexit, and they don’t want that. There’s a way that we can deliver a Brexit that works for our country, and the really interesting thing is the amount of Tory MPs working with Labour MPs, forming that consensus. If we had a vote in parliament, the majority of MPs would not vote for a hard Brexit.” |
| The former chancellor and prominent leave campaigner Lord Lamont said Soubry’s comments were “ridiculous”. He told the BBC: “I don’t want to be rude about Anna Soubry, but I think she does sometimes tend to go over the top.” | The former chancellor and prominent leave campaigner Lord Lamont said Soubry’s comments were “ridiculous”. He told the BBC: “I don’t want to be rude about Anna Soubry, but I think she does sometimes tend to go over the top.” |