THE acting leader of the Scottish Tories has challenged his party’s own rebels to come up with an alternative to Theresa May’s Brexit deal following its crushing defeat in Westminster.
Jackson Carlaw insisted MPs who voted against the agreement – including three Scottish Tories – should set out “quite specifically” how their own plans would work.
It came after the Prime Minister made history after her beleaguered deal was rejected by a record-breaking 230 votes.
Mr Carlaw said he was glad Mrs May had signalled “that she intends to engage across the house to build a parliamentary consensus for a deal”.
He said: “This is not the time to walk away, it is the time to work harder so that we can find a way forward over the coming days.
“Those MPs who opposed the deal this evening should now set out, quite specifically, how their own alternatives might work, how they would respect the referendum, and how they will secure a majority in parliament.
“The fact remains that the only substantial deal on the table, which will avoid No Deal and deliver an orderly Brexit, is the Prime Minister’s plan or something close to it.
“Theresa May will now continue to work to achieve the best way to deliver a withdrawal plan which commands support and I and the Scottish Conservatives continue to back her as she does.”
Three Scottish Tory MPs voted against Mrs May’s deal: Ross Thomson, who represents Aberdeen South, Douglas Ross, who represents Moray and John Lamont, the MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.
Mr Thomson said the House of Commons had “overwhelmingly sent the strongest possible message to the EU that their deal, particularly the Northern Irish backstop, is unacceptable”.
He had earlier labelled plans to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland “the biggest threat to the Union” since the independence referendum.
But speaking to the BBC before the vote, Scottish Tory MP Paul Masterton urged Mrs May to ignore her party’s “hard-line Brexiters” and concentrate on winning support from other parties.
Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary David Mundell has suggested MPs could have repeated votes on Mrs May’s deal.
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