Erg Offer May A Deal

[Kromovaracun]

https://www.ft.com/content/2f60088c-3c19-11e9-b856-5404d3811663

(apologies for paywalled link, I can't currently find anywhere else reporting this)

Tory Eurosceptics have reportedly offered to support Theresa May's Brexit deal on the condition that she name her departure date as UK Prime Minister. According to the FT, the reason for this is that they want to try and take over the Tory leadership in time for the second phase of negotiations which would follow May's deal about the future UK-EU relationship.

Interesting from several points of view. Firstly, if true it suggests that the 'principled' objections to May's deal on the part of ERG will evaporate for a chance at power. More charitably, it could also suggest that May's tactics have paid off - i.e. that she has successfully scared a sufficient number of Eurosceptics into backing her deal with the threat of delaying or canceling Brexit as the alternative.

Will also be interesting to see if May accepts this or not...

[jno]

“part of a plan to install Boris Johnson as leader”.

let's hope she calls their bluff, then.

[THECORBYLOON]

This is from a few days ago, https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1092907/brexit-news-eu-deal-theresa-may-latest-mps-vote-resign-prime-minister/amp

[Kromovaracun]

It could also mean that they are effectively making her an offer they think she won't accept - although it seems unlikely given she's already promised to go (although I do wonder how on earth she can be held to that promise).

[Old_Geezer]

Heard they were asking for that some time ago, but can't see them supporting the deal until, at the very least, that backstop issue has been sorted. No point in a new PM if we're tied into the EU under EU rules until they opt to set us free.

[ichkeria]

It’ll be good news for TIG if that happens (they try to take over later) Certainly it seems as though many of them are wobbling: realising perhaps that their no deal brinkmanship is doomed.
They are themselves a comparatively broad church in the religion of nuttiness tho and unless the bribes to Labour MPs work out it’ll take most of not all of them to defy the DUP and help vote the deal through.

[ichkeria]

Many have backtracked on the backstop: certainly Rees-Mogg appeared to. But they don’t all speak with same voice

[cassa333]

The ERG have from the start simply said do what the electorate asked and you (May) kept promising to do.

It has been Brexiteers who have given ground and have tried to come to a compromise and yet remainextremists who lost but shout a lot are the ones who still call the ERG the extreemists.

The only reason no deal is a relatively lost cause is because MPs have not got any balls to do thier jobs.