Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech on Tuesday afternoon in which she outlined her “new Brexit deal” to try to get her withdrawal agreement through the House of Commons in her fourth attempt. During her speech, the Prime Minister dangled the possibility of a second Brexit referendum and offered MPs a vote on a customs plan, to try to get her deal over the line. Speaking on Sky News, Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, Bernard Jenkin, revealed the instant reaction to Mrs May’s speech at the eurosceptic European Research Group’s meeting.
He said: “In reaction to her speech I think people were pretty aghast I have to say that she is now inviting the House of Commons to approve a customs union or a referendum or at least that is what it seems.
“She is more or less saying, whatever you put into the Bill, that will become the Government’s policy and she will support it.
“That is obviously what she did with taking no deal off the table, she just accepting the instruction from the House of Commons, even though she was under no legal obligation to cancel leaving the European Union.
“One would have thought we should be learning that we should be sticking to the original policy, which was leaving the European Union with or without a deal.”
Brexit news: Bernard Jenkin revealed the ERG's shocked reaction to May's Brexit speech (Image: GETTY•SKYNEWS)
In reaction to her speech I think people were pretty aghast
Bernard Jenkin
Following the meeting, Brexiteer Tory MP Steve Baker wrote: “At our regular ERG meeting, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown confirms he will now vote against the deal.
“There is no doubt the Prime Minister’s speech today has worsened the situation.”
Sky News’ Political Editor Beth Rigby added: “ERG have just met and it was unanimous; the 40-odd who turned up said they would vote against it.
“Geoffrey Clifton-Brown also
