Sunday Show Round Up: Theresa May Fights Back Over Brexit

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The Sunday shows were dominated by Brexit, and here is all you need to know from more than four hours of programmes.

May Defends Her Brexit Plans

Theresa May sat down for what was a rare live interview on Sunday morning, with Andrew Marr given the opportunity to grill the PM on her Brexit plans.

There seemed to be five key moments in the 20 minute chat.

1) May admitted she changed her Brexit position because the EU weren’t budging.

“If we’re going to find something that was in Britain’s interest, that delivered on the referendum and that was negotiable – we had to make, what is a compromise but is a positive in terms of the benefits that it gives us,” she said.

“So if we’re going to find something that was in Britain’s interest, that delivered on the referendum and that was negotiable – we had to make, what is a compromise but is a positive.” @theresa_may #marr pic.twitter.com/s0w9bnSGfS

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 15, 2018

2) May hit back at claims from now ex-Brexit ministers David Davis and Steve Baker that their department was kept out of the loop on the white paper.

She said: “I’ve been talking with David Davis about the approach we should be taking for some time.”

3) May was repeatedly unable to say a hard border wouldn’t go up between Northern Ireland and Ireland if the UK diverged from the common rulebook.

Prime Minister @theresa_may talks about the Irish border #marr pic.twitter.com/sd13a1z4xg

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 15, 2018

4) Donald Trump told May to sue the EU

President @realDonaldTrump told me I should sue the European Union,” says Prime Minister @theresa_may#marr pic.twitter.com/LfVzMKOXMJ

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 15, 2018

5) May said she was “in this for the long term”, but would not explicitly commit to standing in a future leadership contest if one was triggered.

When asked if the Prime Minister would stand again if there was a leadership contest, @theresa_may replies: “I am in this for the long term.” #marr pic.twitter.com/b7VXJY46Qm

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 15, 2018

Tories Turn On Each Other

With the PM having had her say, it was left to other players in this Tory civil war to man their respective barricades.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of the most high profile and unforgiving hard Brexiteers, told the BBC’s Sunday Politics that Theresa May “is a Remainer who has remained a Remainer.”

WATCH Jacob Rees-Mogg dismisses Theresa May as "a Remainer who has remained a Remainer". pic.twitter.com/5LQmzEdobZ

— The Red Roar (@TheRedRoar) July 15, 2018

He said May’s acceptance of the EU position on common rules is a “hopeless way to negotiate.”

Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan was sent out to bat on behalf of the Government, and on appearances on Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday and BBC Radio 5Live’s Pienaar’s Politics he delivered some forthright statements.

"If anyone was to turn on [May] they would be turning on their own country." Quite a statement f/ Sir Alan Duncan. @JPonpolitics @bbc5live

— Rozina Breen (@RozieBreen) July 15, 2018

"Jacob Rees-Mogg is not helping us stick together and we need to stick together." Foreign office minister Sir Alan Duncan says without a united approach behind May, the Party will go "down the plughole".

— John Pienaar (@JPonpolitics) July 15, 2018

Sir Alan Duncan says he believes Theresa May would win a confidence vote should one happen #Ridge pic.twitter.com/u7yyTOgl2E

— Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 15, 2018

Labour Is Playing A Waiting Game

May received support from an unlikely source on Sunday, with Labour Brexiteer John Mann backing her Chequers agreement and chastising Rees-Mogg and his followers.

Mann said leaving on World Trade Organisation terms would lead to “decimation of the car industry and the aerospace industry.”

Labour Brexiter @JohnMannMP to Sophy Ridge sounding a bit like Osborne in terms of attacking “Rees Mogg and his gang” re WTO terms saying it will decimate car industry and aerospace - but also attacking those who want 2nd referendum.
Signaling support for Chequers, if agreed. pic.twitter.com/uWqYddFRnn

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) July 15, 2018

Mann also warned that Jeremy Corbyn would “lose the working class vote” if he backed another referendum on the UK’s relationship with the EU.

.@JohnMannMP says @jeremyCorbyn will "lose the working class" if he endorses a people's vote on Brexit #Ridge pic.twitter.com/oZOrQxSdSc

— Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 15, 2018

Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson was much more open to the idea of a ‘People’s vote’, telling Ridge: “To take that off the table completely when there might be a set of circumstances where Parliament cannot deliver a meaningful vote would be a mistake, but we don’t want that.”

.@tom_watson says Labour will not take a people's vote off the table completely #Ridge pic.twitter.com/uTakWDz4dK

— Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 15, 2018

Appearing on Marr, London Mayor Sadiq Khan was seemed to hint he too would back a second vote, but only if the choice was between staying in the EU and ‘no deal’.

“I may be unhappy with the results of the referendum,” says @SadiqKhan, “but what I’d like to see is the government do a good deal with the EU.” #marr pic.twitter.com/6cFY5yrHQs

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 15, 2018

On the Chequers Agreement more broadly, Watson said “it’s not good enough for us yet”, and went as far as agreeing with Johnson, Davis, and Baker that the customs plan was “unworkable”.

.@tom_watson says Labour has particular concerns over @theresa_may's Customs Unions proposals and says the Chequers deal is "not good enough" in its current form pic.twitter.com/lJ5QklDwLd

— Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 15, 2018

Watson also made a vow for England launch a bid to host the 2030 World Cup if Labour got into government.

Football might be coming home afterall - @tom_watson says one of the first things a Labour government would do would be attempt to secure hosting the 2030 #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/LqPUDUlhOf

— Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 15, 2018
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