THERESA May has survived her so-called show trial with Conservative MPs after making a “passionate and emotional” appeal for loyalty and unity.
One colleague remarked: “She has this incredible capacity to escape; Houdini-style.”
But as the Brexit talks remain deadlocked over the Irish backstop, Nicola Sturgeon intervened to denounce the Tory Government’s “staggering incompetence” and warned a no-deal was now the “most likely outcome”.
The First Minister declared: “Brexit is frankly shaping up to be the biggest failure of government policy and handling of a situation that any of us have ever seen perhaps in our entire lifetimes."
Later in a packed Committee Room 14 in the Commons, Conservative MPs banged their desks enthusiastically to show their support for Mrs May, who, at the weekend, was advised by one colleague to “bring a noose”.
Michael Fabricant, the ebullient backbencher, emerged before the end of the 45-minute meeting to declare the latest gathering of the 1922 Committee had been a “love-in” rather than an execution.
The Staffordshire MP told the throng of reporters: "It wasn't Daniella in the lions' den, it was a petting zoo."
Some Brexiteers demanded a “cast-iron guarantee” about when Britain would leave the EU but several colleagues, who emerged from the meeting, emphasised how MPs and peers had rallied round Mrs May.
One of them, Amber Rudd, the former Home Secretary, claimed her party leader, following a speech of "passion and emotion," was now more secure than before.
“She was able to win the room and deliver something quite personal and emotional about why she was committed to doing it despite being quite frank about the difficulties that are still there and people spoke very freely about their concerns. They wanted her to realise they backed her in delivering for the country,” explained the Hastings MP.
Ahead of the meeting Brexiteer Nadine Dorries suggested the 1922 would be choreographed by the whips. She tweeted: “Already rigged by the whips. Loyalist Chequers supporters will be dispersed about the room to deskbang and cheer.”
Mrs May’s address to Tory colleagues came as a poll suggested voters were losing faith in her ability to deliver a good Brexit deal.
An Ipsos Mori survey said confidence in the PM’s capacity to deliver was at its lowest ebb with just 19 per cent of people believing she could get a good deal from Brussels, down from 28 per cent last month. Some 78 per cent thought she would fail, up eight points.
Earlier, Donald Tusk, the European Council President, suggested the idea of extending the transition period had, in fact, come from the PM.
When this was put to No 10, a spokesman explained how the idea had "emerged" during talks at dinner during last week's EU summit.
One MP at the 1922 Committee explained how the first question to Mrs May was about the impact any extension would have on the Scottish fishing industry.
“She gave a reassuring message about the Common Fisheries Policy and said she was aware of the political sensitivities in Scotland but I still don’t know the direction of travel because it’s all under the cloak of negotiations,” explained one Scottish Tory backbencher.
He and his colleagues have made clear they could not vote for any Brexit deal that included fishing rights in an extended transition. They wanted an exemption for the industry.
An extension of just a few months beyond December 2020 would still mean, given quotas are set in December for the following year, the UK would not take back control of its fishing until December 2021.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, claimed that, as far as the PM was concerned, Scottish fishing interests were “expendable”.
Referring to Monday’s Commons statement on the EU Council, the Highland MP noted: “You saw from the answers the PM gave when Scottish Tory MPs were seeking a guarantee. The PM was not in a position to give them one because she will be prepared to trade away Scottish fishing interests…They will be sold out.”
Today, the UK Government publishes its Fishing Bill, saying it marks a “major milestone in delivering our promise to take back control of our waters, so that we decide who may fish in our waters and on what terms”.
Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, said the legislation would “allow us to create a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for all of the UK. It will regenerate coastal communities, take back control of our waters and, through better conservation measures, allow our precious marine environment to thrive.
“The CFP has damaged the UK’s fishing industry and our precious fish stocks. The bill will deliver a sustainable fishing industry with healthy seas and a fair deal for UK fishermen.”
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