Tom Watson defies Jeremy Corbyn by backing fresh Brexit referendum as 'the only way' to solve crisis Deputy leader declares he will speak at Put It To The People march – increasing pressure on his boss to end uncertainty about his own position
Theresa May's premiership is the focus for many of the newspapers following her return from what the Telegraph calls her "Brussels failure". "PM loses her grip on power" is the front page headline in the i newspaper. Both the Times and the Telegraph leader columns urge Theresa May to quit. In an editorial headlined "Go, Prime Minister", the Times says one conclusion is inescapable: Not only does Mrs May have no solution to the political crisis that is engulfing Britain, but she has become an obstacle to finding a way out. The Telegraph says she will no doubt spend this weekend contemplating both the country's future and her own. It goes on to praise her lifetime of service to the country, but adds that the multiple meanings of duty can include recognising when things can go no further.
Petition Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU. The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen - so vote now. Sign this petition 3,919,388 signatures
'British people VOTED for pain!' What May REALLY said to leaders in secret Brexit meeting LIBERAL DEMOCRAT leader Sir Vince Cable has revealed what the Prime Minister really told party leaders in her Brexit meeting earlier this week.
Theresa May met with leaders of opposition parties earlier this week to try to break the Brexit stalemate before she travelled to the EU. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Vince Cable, has claimed the Prime Minister said the “British people voted for pain” when talking about the prospect of the UK leaving the EU with no deal. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Vince said: “I have never believed until yesterday that no deal was likely, but the Prime Minister is almost doubling down on it.
“She was asked at the meeting about the economic pain that would be inflicted on millions of British people, and the answer was, the people voted for pain.” He added: “I think that was the conclusion I drew and I am pretty certain she now believes it.” Express.co.uk has contacted the Liberal Democrats who say leader Sir Vince stands by his remarks
The interview with Sir Vince came before the Prime Minister spoke to the nation on Wednesday evening and called for MPs to make a decision. During her speech, Theresa May also said it was with “great personal regret” the UK would not be leaving the EU as scheduled.
Furious Brexiteers cause motorway chaos across UK as they organise lorry go-slow at rush hour after leaving date is postponed and it's revealed MPs could be allowed vote on second referendum or CANCELLING exit Brexit Direct Action group said they had organised 'multiple hauliers' to 'go slow' Cars could be seen beeping their horns and swerving through the slow downs Police rushed to intervene in Devon and said lead drivers would be prosecuted Protesters say the government has failed to deliver Brexit and has betrayed them
Theresa May gambles on customs union vote as Boris Johnson reminds her of pledge to step aside
Theresa May is considering plans to allow MPs a vote on keeping Britain in a Customs Union as she refuses to quit as Prime Minister despite MPs and ministers urging her to stand down. After Brussels rejected her request for a three month delay, Mrs May returned to the UK yesterday and began drawing up new plans for Brexit. Under the latest proposals MPs will be offered "indicative votes" on a range of Brexit alternatives if, as anticipated, the Prime Minister's deal is defeated for a third time. MPs will be asked to vote on membership of the Single Market and Customs Union as well as revoking Article 50 and holding a second referendum. But her new plan immediately led to another backlash, with...
Brexit: leaver go-slow on roads leads to prosecutions Police stop leaders of dawdling convoys that were intended to cause ‘gridlock’ in pursuit of 29 March exit date
Pro-Brexit campaigners have been prosecuted for inconsiderate driving while trying to bring roads to a standstill. According to organisers, the demonstrations aimed to ensure the UK leaves the EU on 29 March by causing gridlock on motorways and A-roads using a convoy of slow-moving vehicles. The protesters were aiming to target between 30 and 40 locations over the weekend, including the M25, M6 and M1.
Devon and Cornwall police said the lead drivers of convoys on the A30 and M5 were stopped and prosecuted for careless and inconsiderate driving. The force said it had spoken to organisers of both protests beforehand and told them they were to ensure other motorists could pass them and not drop down to unsafe speeds.
May urged to go as she hints at pulling third vote on Brexit deal Amid calls to ‘fall on her sword’, PM writes to Tory MPs saying deal will return if there is sufficient support
Pressure on Theresa May has reached new heights as ministers backed attempts to let parliament take control of the next stage of the Brexit process and MPs openly speculated that her time in office could end within weeks. As a beleaguered May returned from Brussels, MPs suggested her deal could lose by an even higher margin, with several saying the timing now required the prime minister to “fall on her sword”. May wrote to Tory MPs on Friday in an attempt to address some of the criticism and regain control over the process. In her letter, she even hinted she may not bring her deal back to parliament for the third time without “sufficient support” and apologised for the tone of her statement on Wednesday night where she blamed MPs for the Brexit impasse.
MPs had earlier suggested that it could be pointless for the prime minister to attempt to pass her deal next week, after a defiant statement by the Democratic Unionist party where they rejected the current state of negotiations. In her letter, May said the decision of the EU council meant she would bring back her deal next week “if it appears there is sufficient support and the Speaker permits it”.
Secret Cabinet Office document reveals chaotic planning for no-deal Brexit Exclusive: paper says ‘critical phase’ could last months as fears rise over disruption to transport and food supplies
The extent and range of the impact of a no-deal Brexit is revealed in a confidential Cabinet Office document that warns of a “critical three-month phase” after leaving the EU during which the whole planning operation could be overwhelmed. The classified document, seen by the Guardian, sets out the command and control structures in Whitehall for coping with a no-deal departure and says government departments will have to firefight most problems for themselves – or risk a collapse of “Operation Yellowhammer”. “The … structure will quickly fall if too many decisions are unnecessarily escalated to the top levels that could have reasonably been dealt with internally …” the document says. It also concedes there are “likely to be unforeseen issues and impacts” of a no-deal Brexit that Operation Yellowhammer has been unable to predict.
Brexit: DUP kills off Theresa May’s hopes it will rescue her deal – ‘nothing has changed’ ‘We will not accept any deal which poses a long-term risk to the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom’
The Democratic Unionist Party has appeared to read the last rites on Theresa May’s Brexit deal by saying “nothing has changed” ahead of a third and final meaningful vote. The party propping up the Tories in power, and whose support is essential to any hopes the prime minister has of rescuing her agreement, scotched any prospect of it switching sides.
"Leave means leave" - Brexit Betrayal march
It also echoed the language of Brexiteer Tories by accusing her of being “far too willing to capitulate” to the EU, after the agreement to delay withdrawal this week.
Brexit news: Nigel Farage accused of hypocrisy after claiming Article 50 petition signatures are 'coming from Russia' It comes as more than 3 million people signed a petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked
Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage has been accused of hypocrisy after claiming that many signatures to a record-breaking petition to cancel Brexit came from Russia and the majority for a no-deal exit was increasing by the week. The prominent Brexiteer said he was “disgusted” by the news that Brexit would be delayed, which he claimed would be seen by millions of people as a “failure of leadership” by Theresa May.
Mr Farage, who has taken the reins of a new Brexit party, also sought to dismiss criticism of his sparsely attended pro-Leave march, saying it was the “symbolism” that mattered.
He also made unsubstantiated claims that there is a “very, very clear majority” for a no-deal Brexit and “it’s gaining a few per cent every single week”.
Mr Farage made the claims despite more than 3 million people have signed a petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked, and ahead of a major demonstration in favour of a Final Say referendum on Saturday, organised in partnership with The Independent
Labour MP Jo Stevens, who supports the Best for Britain campaign, said: “The hypocrisy of Farage and his billionaire bully boys knows no bounds. He and his gang broke electoral law and are under investigation for Russian collusion.
“With around 3 million signatures already, the revoke petition shows the genuine depth of anger in the country at the government’s shambolic mismanagement of Brexit – and the damage which has already been done. “Of the emails I’m receiving from worried constituents, 95 per cent are calling on MPs to revoke Article 50 and stop the clock on this process to prevent a disastrous no-deal Brexit.”
Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there was a “very big shift going on in the country” as he said people were saying “can we please end this agony – it’s dominating everything”. When the presenter pointed to the millions of signatures to the petition to cancel Brexit, he said: “I know, and a lot of them are from Russia so perhaps there should be an inquiry into collusion, who’s to say?”
He went on: “Opinion polls are now very clear ... there is a big clear majority who want to leave with no deal as opposed to having an extension of any kind at all.”
Mr Farage also claimed that about 20 million people would have joined the Leave Means Leave march “in spirit”, but it was “the symbolism of it that matters”.
There is no majority in parliament for a no-deal exit, as MPs voted to delay Britain’s departure rather than crash out without a deal on 29 March.
A recent YouGov poll found 61 per cent of the population would vote to Remain rather than back Ms May’s deal if the choice was offered in a referendum while 39 per cent would opt for the existing deal.
If people were asked in a public vote whether they would prefer to remain in the EU or leave with no deal in place, Remain would still win, though by the smaller margin of 57-43 per cent. EU leaders agreed on Thursday night to give Ms May more time to get her deal through parliament but she is widely expected to lose a third meaningful vote. The prime minister also faces a Tory party losing patience with her leadership and threats that MPs could now seize control of the withdrawal process.
Petition Leave the EU without a deal in March 2019. We are wasting Billions of pounds of taxpayers money trying to negotiate in a short space of time. Leaving the EU in March 2019 will allow the UK good time to negotiate more efficiently. The EU will be more eager to accept a deal on our terms having lost a major partner. ►More details Sign this petition 455,668 signatures
Petition Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU. The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen - so vote now. Sign this petition 4,000,239 signatures
Revoke Article 50 petition: Four million people demand UK cancel Brexit
An online petition demanding that Article 50 is revoked and the UK stays in the EU has now hit four million signatures. The petition, which has attracted an influx of signatories in recent days, reached the four million mark shortly after 9am on Saturday. Backed by dozens of high profile celebrities, it gained support in the wake of Theresa May's speech on Wednesday night, even crashing the Parliament website several times, and Revoke Article 50 began trending on Twitter.
Should it pass the 4.2 million mark, it will be the most popular petition submitted to the Parliament website. The most popular is currently a 2016 petition calling for a second EU referendum should the winning vote and turnout not reach a certain threshold. By contrast, the most popular pro-Brexit petition on the Parliament website, which calls on the Government to "leave the EU without a deal in March 2019", has received almost 455,000 signatories.
Comments
Tom Watson defies Jeremy Corbyn by backing fresh Brexit referendum as 'the only way' to solve crisis
Deputy leader declares he will speak at Put It To The People march – increasing pressure on his boss to end uncertainty about his own position
"PM loses her grip on power" is the front page headline in the i newspaper.
Both the Times and the Telegraph leader columns urge Theresa May to quit.
In an editorial headlined "Go, Prime Minister", the Times says one conclusion is inescapable: Not only does Mrs May have no solution to the political crisis that is engulfing Britain, but she has become an obstacle to finding a way out.
The Telegraph says she will no doubt spend this weekend contemplating both the country's future and her own.
It goes on to praise her lifetime of service to the country, but adds that the multiple meanings of duty can include recognising when things can go no further.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-47675561
Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU.
The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen - so vote now.
Sign this petition
3,919,388 signatures
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT leader Sir Vince Cable has revealed what the Prime Minister really told party leaders in her Brexit meeting earlier this week.
Theresa May met with leaders of opposition parties earlier this week to try to break the Brexit stalemate before she travelled to the EU. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Vince Cable, has claimed the Prime Minister said the “British people voted for pain” when talking about the prospect of the UK leaving the EU with no deal. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Vince said: “I have never believed until yesterday that no deal was likely, but the Prime Minister is almost doubling down on it.
“She was asked at the meeting about the economic pain that would be inflicted on millions of British people, and the answer was, the people voted for pain.”
He added: “I think that was the conclusion I drew and I am pretty certain she now believes it.”
Express.co.uk has contacted the Liberal Democrats who say leader Sir Vince stands by his remarks
The interview with Sir Vince came before the Prime Minister spoke to the nation on Wednesday evening and called for MPs to make a decision.
During her speech, Theresa May also said it was with “great personal regret” the UK would not be leaving the EU as scheduled.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1104029/Brexit-news-UK-EU-Theresa-May-Sir-Vince-Cable-Jeremy-Corbyn-no-deal-Article-50-extension
Brexit Direct Action group said they had organised 'multiple hauliers' to 'go slow'
Cars could be seen beeping their horns and swerving through the slow downs
Police rushed to intervene in Devon and said lead drivers would be prosecuted
Protesters say the government has failed to deliver Brexit and has betrayed them
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6840679/Furious-Brexiteers-cause-traffic-chaos-country-organise-lorries-block-motorways.html
Theresa May is considering plans to allow MPs a vote on keeping Britain in a Customs Union as she refuses to quit as Prime Minister despite MPs and ministers urging her to stand down.
After Brussels rejected her request for a three month delay, Mrs May returned to the UK yesterday and began drawing up new plans for Brexit.
Under the latest proposals MPs will be offered "indicative votes" on a range of Brexit alternatives if, as anticipated, the Prime Minister's deal is defeated for a third time.
MPs will be asked to vote on membership of the Single Market and Customs Union as well as revoking Article 50 and holding a second referendum.
But her new plan immediately led to another backlash, with...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/22/theresa-may-gambles-customs-union-vote-boris-johnson-reminds/
Police stop leaders of dawdling convoys that were intended to cause ‘gridlock’ in pursuit of 29 March exit date
Pro-Brexit campaigners have been prosecuted for inconsiderate driving while trying to bring roads to a standstill.
According to organisers, the demonstrations aimed to ensure the UK leaves the EU on 29 March by causing gridlock on motorways and A-roads using a convoy of slow-moving vehicles.
The protesters were aiming to target between 30 and 40 locations over the weekend, including the M25, M6 and M1.
Devon and Cornwall police said the lead drivers of convoys on the A30 and M5 were stopped and prosecuted for careless and inconsiderate driving.
The force said it had spoken to organisers of both protests beforehand and told them they were to ensure other motorists could pass them and not drop down to unsafe speeds.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/23/brexit-leaver-go-slow-on-roads-leads-to-prosecutions
Amid calls to ‘fall on her sword’, PM writes to Tory MPs saying deal will return if there is sufficient support
Pressure on Theresa May has reached new heights as ministers backed attempts to let parliament take control of the next stage of the Brexit process and MPs openly speculated that her time in office could end within weeks.
As a beleaguered May returned from Brussels, MPs suggested her deal could lose by an even higher margin, with several saying the timing now required the prime minister to “fall on her sword”.
May wrote to Tory MPs on Friday in an attempt to address some of the criticism and regain control over the process. In her letter, she even hinted she may not bring her deal back to parliament for the third time without “sufficient support” and apologised for the tone of her statement on Wednesday night where she blamed MPs for the Brexit impasse.
MPs had earlier suggested that it could be pointless for the prime minister to attempt to pass her deal next week, after a defiant statement by the Democratic Unionist party where they rejected the current state of negotiations. In her letter, May said the decision of the EU council meant she would bring back her deal next week “if it appears there is sufficient support and the Speaker permits it”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/22/theresa-may-brexit-deal-mps-eu-no-deal
Exclusive: paper says ‘critical phase’ could last months as fears rise over disruption to transport and food supplies
The extent and range of the impact of a no-deal Brexit is revealed in a confidential Cabinet Office document that warns of a “critical three-month phase” after leaving the EU during which the whole planning operation could be overwhelmed.
The classified document, seen by the Guardian, sets out the command and control structures in Whitehall for coping with a no-deal departure and says government departments will have to firefight most problems for themselves – or risk a collapse of “Operation Yellowhammer”.
“The … structure will quickly fall if too many decisions are unnecessarily escalated to the top levels that could have reasonably been dealt with internally …” the document says. It also concedes there are “likely to be unforeseen issues and impacts” of a no-deal Brexit that Operation Yellowhammer has been unable to predict.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/22/secret-cabinet-office-document-reveals-chaotic-planning-for-no-deal-brexit
‘We will not accept any deal which poses a long-term risk to the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom’
The Democratic Unionist Party has appeared to read the last rites on Theresa May’s Brexit deal by saying “nothing has changed” ahead of a third and final meaningful vote.
The party propping up the Tories in power, and whose support is essential to any hopes the prime minister has of rescuing her agreement, scotched any prospect of it switching sides.
"Leave means leave" - Brexit Betrayal march
It also echoed the language of Brexiteer Tories by accusing her of being “far too willing to capitulate” to the EU, after the agreement to delay withdrawal this week.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-dup-theresa-may-deal-eu-agreement-a8836126.html
It comes as more than 3 million people signed a petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked
Ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage has been accused of hypocrisy after claiming that many signatures to a record-breaking petition to cancel Brexit came from Russia and the majority for a no-deal exit was increasing by the week.
The prominent Brexiteer said he was “disgusted” by the news that Brexit would be delayed, which he claimed would be seen by millions of people as a “failure of leadership” by Theresa May.
Mr Farage, who has taken the reins of a new Brexit party, also sought to dismiss criticism of his sparsely attended pro-Leave march, saying it was the “symbolism” that mattered.
He also made unsubstantiated claims that there is a “very, very clear majority” for a no-deal Brexit and “it’s gaining a few per cent every single week”.
Mr Farage made the claims despite more than 3 million people have signed a petition calling for Article 50 to be revoked, and ahead of a major demonstration in favour of a Final Say referendum on Saturday, organised in partnership with The Independent
Labour MP Jo Stevens, who supports the Best for Britain campaign, said: “The hypocrisy of Farage and his billionaire bully boys knows no bounds. He and his gang broke electoral law and are under investigation for Russian collusion.
“With around 3 million signatures already, the revoke petition shows the genuine depth of anger in the country at the government’s shambolic mismanagement of Brexit – and the damage which has already been done.
“Of the emails I’m receiving from worried constituents, 95 per cent are calling on MPs to revoke Article 50 and stop the clock on this process to prevent a disastrous no-deal Brexit.”
Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there was a “very big shift going on in the country” as he said people were saying “can we please end this agony – it’s dominating everything”.
When the presenter pointed to the millions of signatures to the petition to cancel Brexit, he said: “I know, and a lot of them are from Russia so perhaps there should be an inquiry into collusion, who’s to say?”
He went on: “Opinion polls are now very clear ... there is a big clear majority who want to leave with no deal as opposed to having an extension of any kind at all.”
Mr Farage also claimed that about 20 million people would have joined the Leave Means Leave march “in spirit”, but it was “the symbolism of it that matters”.
There is no majority in parliament for a no-deal exit, as MPs voted to delay Britain’s departure rather than crash out without a deal on 29 March.
A recent YouGov poll found 61 per cent of the population would vote to Remain rather than back Ms May’s deal if the choice was offered in a referendum while 39 per cent would opt for the existing deal.
If people were asked in a public vote whether they would prefer to remain in the EU or leave with no deal in place, Remain would still win, though by the smaller margin of 57-43 per cent.
EU leaders agreed on Thursday night to give Ms May more time to get her deal through parliament but she is widely expected to lose a third meaningful vote.
The prime minister also faces a Tory party losing patience with her leadership and threats that MPs could now seize control of the withdrawal process.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-nigel-farage-article-50-petition-russia-party-leave-remain-theresa-may-deal-a8834781.html
Leave the EU without a deal in March 2019.
We are wasting Billions of pounds of taxpayers money trying to negotiate in a short space of time. Leaving the EU in March 2019 will allow the UK good time to negotiate more efficiently. The EU will be more eager to accept a deal on our terms having lost a major partner.
►More details
Sign this petition
455,668 signatures
Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU.
The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people'. We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen - so vote now.
Sign this petition
4,000,239 signatures
An online petition demanding that Article 50 is revoked and the UK stays in the EU has now hit four million signatures.
The petition, which has attracted an influx of signatories in recent days, reached the four million mark shortly after 9am on Saturday.
Backed by dozens of high profile celebrities, it gained support in the wake of Theresa May's speech on Wednesday night, even crashing the Parliament website several times, and Revoke Article 50 began trending on Twitter.
Should it pass the 4.2 million mark, it will be the most popular petition submitted to the Parliament website.
The most popular is currently a 2016 petition calling for a second EU referendum should the winning vote and turnout not reach a certain threshold.
By contrast, the most popular pro-Brexit petition on the Parliament website, which calls on the Government to "leave the EU without a deal in March 2019", has received almost 455,000 signatories.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/brexit/revoke-article-50-petition-four-million-people-demand-uk-cancel-brexit/ar-BBV7VWQ?ocid=spartanntp
From the FT;