Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team May to urge MPs not to ‘break faith with the people’ by calling for another referendum… Theresa May will urge MPs on Monday not to “break faith with the British people” by demanding a second referendum, as she faces intense pressure to give parliament a say on Brexit before Christmas. The prime minister will make a statement to MPs on last week’s European council summit in Brussels, from which she returned with little evidence of progress in securing legal reassurances on the Irish backstop. Jeremy Corbyn will take the opportunity to call on her to hold a vote on her Brexit deal this week, and senior Labour figures refuse to rule out an imminent no-confidence motion if she fails to do so. May, however, will use her appearance at the dispatch box to strongly reject the idea of a second referendum after Downing Street was forced to deny reports on Sunday that some of her key aides were secretly considering the idea. “Let us not break faith with the British people by trying to stage another referendum,” the prime minister will tell MPs. “Another vote which would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics, because it would say to millions who trusted in democracy, that our democracy does not deliver. Another vote which would likely leave us no further forward than the last.” Her message is aimed partly at Conservative MPs, and some ministers, who have become increasingly convinced that a referendum is the only way out of the impasse at Westminster after the prime minister abruptly pulled plans for a vote on her deal last week. – Guardian New EU referendum would break faith with Britons, May to warn MPs – BBC News …as No. 10 denies making plans for a second Brexit referendum… Theresa May will summon EU27 ambassadors to No 10 this week as she continues to seek reassurances over the Irish backstop, with Downing Street vehemently denying drawing up contingency plans for a second referendum. The education secretary, Damian Hinds, said on Sunday: “Government policy couldn’t be clearer. We are here to act on the will of the people clearly expressed in the referendum.” He added: “A second referendum would be divisive. We had the people’s vote, we had the referendum, and now we’ve got to get on with implementing it. Any idea that having a second referendum now would break through an impasse is wrong. It might postpone the impasse, but then it would extend it.” May attacked the former Labour prime minister Tony Blair this weekend for advocating a second vote, saying: “There are too many people who want to subvert the process for their own political interests rather than acting in the national interest. – Guardian …and May allies distance themselves from reports they are planning such a vote Key allies of Theresa May have distanced themselves from reports they are involved in planning for a new Brexit referendum. The Prime Minister’s defacto deputy, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, and Mrs May’s chief of staff Gavin Barwell, indicated they are not in favour of a new EU withdrawal vote. The move followed reports that Mr Lidington held talks with Labour MPs last week aimed at getting cross-party consensus for a new referendum. In response, Mr Lidington tweeted a link to last week’s Hansard record of Parliamentary proceedings, where he set out how a second vote was a possibility, but could be “divisive not decisive”. Mr Barwell tweeted: “Happy to confirm I am *not* planning a 2nd referendum with political opponents (or anyone else to anticipate the next question)” Education Secretary Damian Hinds insisted Cabinet has not discussed a second EU referendum. – Mail Online > WATCH: Damian Hinds speaking on Sophy Ridge on Sunday Liam Fox warns a second Brexit referendum would give Nicola Sturgeon the green light for another Scottish independence vote… Liam Fox has echoed a chorus of senior Scottish Tory warnings that staging a second EU referendum would give Nicola Sturgeon the leverage she needs for another independence vote. The International Trade Secretary questioned how the UK Government could deny Ms Sturgeon a rerun of the 2014 independence referendum while organising a second Brexit vote. His intervention came after several senior Tory figures last week expressed major reservations about the growing calls for another EU vote, including giving the First Minister a powerful precedent. David Mundell, the Scottish Secretary, and Jackson Carlaw, the interim Scottish Tory leader, both told the Telegraph last week that the proposal would play into Ms Sturgeon’s hands. But former universities minister Sam Gyimah, who quit his post last month over Mrs May’s Brexit deal, said there was “nothing inherently undemocratic” about a second referendum, which he added could “break the deadlock”. – Telegraph (£) > WATCH: Liam Fox’s interview on The Andrew Marr Show …while Boris Johnson says the public would feel betrayed by another Brexit vote A second Brexit referendum would provoke “instant, deep and ineradicable feelings of betrayal”, Boris Johnson has warned, as two of the Prime Minister’s most senior allies were accused of secretly preparing for a new vote. Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s chief of staff, allegedly said a second referendum was “the only way forward”, while David Lidington, her de facto deputy, was accused of trying to build a “cross-party coalition” for a new vote. Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Johnson suggests they must be “out of their minds”, as he warns the public would be “utterly infuriated” if Britain were to be put through the “misery and expense” of another referendum. Mr Johnson describes the idea that the Government would put a second referendum to the public as sickening and adds: “They would know immediately that they were being asked to vote again simply because they had failed to give the ‘right’ answer last time. They would suspect, with good grounds, that it was all a gigantic plot, engineered by politicians, to overturn their verdict. A second referendum would provoke instant, deep and ineradicable feelings of betrayal.” – Telegraph (£) Theresa May faces Cabinet split over no-deal Brexit as ministers warn that they are prepared to quit… The Prime Minister will be put under pressure to step up preparations for leaving the EU without a deal, with 11 Cabinet ministers understood to be in favour of a “managed” no-deal. They include Jeremy Hunt, Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary and Sajid Javid, alongside Eurosceptics including Andrea Leadsom, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox. However the move is being strongly opposed by five Remainers in Cabinet – Amber Rudd, David Gauke, David Lidington, Philip Hammond and Greg Clark. Mr Gauke on Sunday signalled that he would quit the Cabinet if the Prime Minister pushed ahead with a no-deal Brexit in March 2019. He told the Financial Times: “I couldn’t support a conscious decision to crash out at the end of March and I don’t think there are many who could.” – Telegraph (£) Fresh Cabinet split looms as ministers prepare to set out ‘managed no-deal’ Brexit plans – PoliticsHome Theresa May’s Cabinet turns on her as Matt Hancock pushes for No Deal, Jeremy Hunt aims for her job and Liam Fox supports second referendum – The Sun …while she faces pressure to give MPs ‘indicative votes’ on Brexit options Theresa May is under mounting pressure to give MPs “indicative votes” on different Brexit options as Liam Fox became the first Eurosceptic minister to endorse the plans. Eight Cabinet ministers are now pushing for the Prime Minister to hold a series of non-binding votes in the House of Commons to test the “will of the House” on different approaches to Brexit. Dr Fox, the International Trade Secretary, believes that the move would help to bolster the chances of Mrs May’s deal being agreed by Parliament by ruling out alternatives such as a Norway or Canada-style Brexit. However, Remain ministers believe that it could result in a major boost for the second referendum campaign and make another national poll more likely if Mrs May’s deal is voted down. – Telegraph (£) May urged to let MPs take control of Brexit – The Times (£) What happens next may have to be put to MPs’ vote – Fox – BBC News Labour will try to force Brexit vote before Christmas Labour will try to force a Brexit vote before Christmas, shadow communities minister Andrew Gwynne has said. A confidence vote could quickly follow MPs making a decision on whether or not to accept Theresa May’s Brexit deal, Mr Gwynne told the Andrew Marr show, but would not come before. Mr Gwynne, who is also the party’s election co-ordinator, denied Mrs May would be safe until Christmas – leaving the door open to a confidence vote before the festive break. He said: “The main thing we want next week is to have that meaningful vote on the Withdrawal Agreement… We want that before Christmas. “We will assess our tactics on a day-to-day basis but fundamentally until we secure that meaningful vote from the Parliament we can’t move to the next stage. Mr Gwynne added Labour would “assess our tactics on a day-to-day basis”, but refused to elaborate on how Labour could force a confidence vote. He said: “We will be using whatever mechanisms we have at our disposal next week to try and force the Government to bring forward that deal for a vote before Christmas.There are a number of mechanisms we can use and i am not going to explain parliamentary tactics on live TV but we will be using everything at our disposal next week to try and force the Government to bring that deal before Parliament before we rise for Christmas.” – Belfast Telegraph > WATCH: Andrew Gwynne speaking on The Andrew Marr Show Tony Blair clashes with May over Brexit as he warns the PM not to ‘steamroller’ MPs Tony Blair has hit back at criticism from the prime minister, warning her that it would be irresponsible to try and “steamroller” her Brexit agreement through. The former Labour prime minister and Theresa May are embroiled in a row after she accused him of “undermining” the EU divorce talks by calling for a second referendum, which she said was an “insult to the office he once held”. But Mr Blair has dismissed the charge and said he was acting in the national interest. The spat came as two of the prime minister’s closest aides were forced to deny claims they were planning for a fresh Brexit poll. Labour has also vowed to do all it could to try and force a Commons vote this week on the PM’s withdrawal agreement, which would almost certainly be defeated. – Sky News Tony Blair hits back at Theresa May in war of words over second Brexit referendum – PoltiicsHome Scottish fishing industry bosses warn over ‘EU retribution’ The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) will publish its first ever annual State of the Industry Report on Sunday, with less than four months to go until the UK leaves the EU. The document backs exiting the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and calls for the UK to be able to negotiate access and quota rights as an independent coastal state by the end of 2020. Industry bosses in Scotland have said that it is not in the interests of the EU-27 to adopt “hardline positions” on talks over future agreements on fishing. Bertie Armstrong, SFF chief executive, said: “We are getting close to the point where Britain leaves the EU, and this will be the last December Fisheries Council that we attend before we begin the transition to coastal state in our own right. “Sensible management of fish stocks is extremely difficult when you are facing the double whammy of an unworkable discard ban that takes little account of the mixed fishery in Scottish waters and therefore the issue of choke species and significant cuts to key stocks such as cod and haddock that will exacerbate this problem. “If further evidence were required that the Common Fisheries Policy is a disastrous tool for fisheries management, this is it. But given that we have a fisheries agreement to negotiate, it would be utter folly for the EU to try to exact retribution on the UK by further punishing our hard-working fishermen instead of analysing the situation dispassionately and looking for a series of sensible, practical solutions to these problems.” – Belfast Telegraph Geoffrey Cox allegedly told ministers that Theresa May must be ‘removed’ from office after Brexit The Attorney General allegedly told Cabinet ministers that Theresa May must be “removed” from office after Brexit so others can “take over” and renegotiate her deal, The Telegraph has learned. During a conference call with Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Michael Gove, Geoffrey Cox is said to have told ministers that they should “swallow” the Prime Minister’s deal for now. Three sources told The Telegraph that he then allegedly suggested during the weekend call that the Prime Minister “would need to be removed for quarter one [April of next year] so we can take over the next stage”. It was claimed that Mr Cox has made similar comments on more than one occasion. A spokesman for Mr Cox said: “The Attorney General firmly denies any suggestion that he called for the PM to be removed. This is completely untrue.” – Telegraph (£) Boris Johnson: This babble about a ‘People’s Vote’ undermines our credibility and treats people with contempt There were millions of people who instinctively wanted to vote Leave, but who were too scared to do so. I met many of them. So it was really quite extraordinary that there were nonetheless 17.4 million people who thought hard and who decided that they could see a different and brighter future for their country outside the EU. The people of this country voted Leave in the full knowledge of what they were doing and with the categorical assurance of every Prime Minister and former Prime Minister – David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, John Major – that their views would be respected. They were told that whether they voted Leave or Remain, the result would be implemented. As for this babble about another referendum, it undermines our negotiating credibility further. Why should the EU change the backstop if they think we are already planning a second “People’s Vote” – a vote that treats the people with contempt? – Boris Johnson MP for the Telegraph (£) Nicky Morgan: I won’t support a second referendum – even if the Government does. Here’s why There is no majority in the Commons for a second referendum, as Chuka Umunna admitted yesterday. That could begin to change if the Labour Party’s official position changed to backing a second vote. But it can only be guaranteed with support from some Conservative MPs. At its heart, the battle between a second referendum, headed by the “People’s Vote” campaign, and the Norway Plus option is about whether the result of the 2016 Referendum is accepted or not. The main aim for those behind the People’s Vote campaign is to overturn the referendum result so that the UK remains in the EU. As one of my Conservative friends told me, having said two years ago that they very reluctantly had decided to accept the result, they now don’t want the UK to leave the EU, and see a second referendum as the way to achieve this objective. Those backing the People’s Vote campaign include some master media spinners and PR men. We now see a steady stream of selective polling and information being put out: Labour will fall behind the Liberal Democrats if they work with the Government on Brexit, it is claimed; Scottish Conservatives are apparently ready to back a second referendum; misinformation about the Norway option was provided in a document which Adrian Yalland has now pulled apart; Oliver Letwin and I are working on a second referendum plan, and that the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff is also working on a way to deliver one. All of these tactics are designed to bounce people into backing a second referendum. – Nicky Morgan MP for ConservativeHome Telegraph: Stop Project Fear and prepare for ‘no deal’ with Project Ready No one should want a no-deal Brexit as their first option: it would come with many (entirely avoidable) costs and would be the result of a disastrous failure of diplomacy. But we are fast running out of options and could soon be faced with the choice of either no Brexit or a departure without a wide-ranging formal deal with the EU. The former course of action, which is being advocated increasingly hysterically by Remainers inside and outside the Conservative Party, would be a political catastrophe for Britain and would confirm to millions that democracy is a sham in this country. Hence preparing for no-deal must become Britain’s number one priority. While the Government has started to do more behind the scenes, its efforts to date remain little short of scandalous, largely because of Philip Hammond’s refusal to fund and equip the effort properly. It’s time to drop Project Fear and embrace Project Manage. Preparing for a no-deal Brexit should become the Government’s biggest, best‑publicised mission. – Telegraph (£) editorial The Sun: Theresa May is right to suppress the Remainers’ demands for a ‘People’s Vote’ as it betrays the Brexit result Theresa May is absolutely right to slap down the arch-Remainers baying for a second referendum. In response to Tony Blair’s latest demand for a “People’s Vote”, she said it is the “democratic duty” of Parliament to deliver Brexit. Today, in the House of Commons, she will reiterate this. With her chief of staff Gavin Barwell and deputy David Lidington accused of plotting a second referendum, Mrs May’s defiance is especially welcome. What do these Tories think will happen to their party’s support if they force another referendum? It would be electoral suicide. And, as The Sun has repeatedly warned, a second referendum would dangerously destabilise Britain. Its backers all want to reverse Brexit, having never come to terms with their side losing. The “People’s Vote” brigade cannot comprehend that 17.4million people wanted Britain to be unshackled from the EU. Forcing a second referendum now would plunge our democracy into disarray, as the fury of millions of stitched-up voters is unleashed. – The Sun says Trevor Kavanagh: No Deal Brexit is our best chance of leaving the EU and delivering what voters actually want — as British jobs miracle is the envy of Europe Thanks to Theresa May’s feeble negotiations, EU leaders have never seriously believed Britain would end up “crashing out”. It was bottom of their list of likely Brexit outcomes. Now it is back in play — and they are paying attention. Asked by a major pro-Brexit industrialist how Brussels might respond, I am told a rattled German official replied: “We would re-open negotiations immediately.” Far from the cliff-edge, car-crash nightmare painted by the Treasury, BBC and CBI, a clean Brexit is entirely manageable. It would set us free to trade on terms set by the Government in the interests of the British people. We would save the £39 billion ransom to Brussels — and use some of the cash to buy time from the EU for more detailed planning. And it would see off slippery Tony Blair’s treacherous call for a second referendum. UKplc has nothing to fear but Project Fear itself. Warnings of economic chaos, mass unemployment and house price crashes have repeatedly proved to be false. The same scare stories were peddled by the same people who 20 years ago predicted Britain would sink unless we joined the European single currency. We never looked back. It is the Eurozone that is now sinking, with Greece already under water. Britain’s jobs miracle is the envy of Europe. – Trevor Kavanagh for The Sun Telegraph: Running the clock down on Brexit cannot continue to be an option for Mrs May For the third Monday in less than a month Theresa May will face the House of Commons to promote her Brexit deal as MPs and the country grow increasingly exasperated with her procrastination. The first time was her return from Brussels after EU leaders signed off on the Withdrawal Agreement she had negotiated the previous weekend. The expectation in Downing Street was that while there would be objectors among the diehard Brexiteers, there would be enough grudging support to work on in the subsequent days ahead of the meaningful vote in the Commons. But she encountered far greater hostility than she had anticipated, which has only hardened as time went on. Faced with this opposition, she returned last Monday to announce that the vote due for Tuesday was to be abandoned, pending further talks with the EU, since it was clearly not going to get through Parliament. She would seek further assurances about the operation of the Northern Ireland border “backstop” provision. However, the view of MPs needs to be tested. As Liam Fox, the Trade Secretary, suggested yesterday, this could be done with a free vote, since it is a Parliamentary and not a party matter to resolve. Running down the clock until no other options are available, as the Prime Minister apparently wishes to do, cannot continue and Mrs May will be told as much in the Commons today. – Telegraph (£) editorial Tony Rossiter: Breaking all the rules of success in negotiations So what went wrong? How did we end up with a deal that satisfies no-one? The UK’s excruciating efforts to negotiate a withdrawal agreement with the EU is an object lesson in how not to negotiate. Negotiation is not a dark art. For the most part, it is just plain common sense. There are only three key principles. The first is to establish clear objectives. The EU 27 were much better at that than the UK. Triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which stipulates a maximum of two years for the completion of a withdrawal agreement, when there were significant unresolved differences within government about the desired outcome, was a huge mistake. In any negotiation, it is essential to get your key stakeholders on board and signed up to your objectives at the outset. When I represented the UK on one of the EU Council’s Working Groups, the preparatory discussions in Whitehall, thrashing out an agreed UK position, were often more difficult than the subsequent negotiations in Brussels. If you don’t have agreed objectives at the outset, you’ll inevitably be on the back foot, and if internal divisions become public knowledge, they’re likely to be exploited by the opposition. You can hardly blame them. – Tony Rossiter for the Yorkshire Post Paul T Horgan: Leave the young ones out of this bogus second referendum campaign One of the worst arguments being bandied about over the need, the absolute need, for a second referendum is that young people who could not vote in the last referendum will be the most affected. The argument of youth being hostage to fortune is, of course, nonsense, as it could easily be applied to every referendum and General Election in the last century. All government policies have consequences for those too young to vote in elections, as the young will grow up in a world affected by those policies. The vote to leave the EU will not result in war. Today’s children will not be dying in 10 years due to misplaced pacifism. The economic dislocation is a matter for debate, especially since the naysayers who promote this prospect tried to have us believe that the disaster would start on June 24, 2016. So using the impressionable young as a human shield is irrelevant, but is also tasteless, given how socialists and internationalists have previously sacrificed so much youth on their altar of self-righteousness. – Paul T Horgan for The Conservative Woman Brexit in Brief Will Tony Blair help or hinder the campaign for a second referendum? – Christian May for City A.M. Theresa May buys time to free us at last – Nick Ferrari for the Express Sturgeon puts more pressure on Labour to table confidence motion – BBC News EU’s Tusk takes huge swipe at Brexiteers and warns of catastrophe – Express