THE Chequers Plan for Brexit is “not dead,” Theresa May has declared as she faced accusations that her Government was "too weak and too divided" to ensure there would be no hard border in Northern Ireland.
During a raucous Prime Minister Questions, Mrs May made clear her bottom line in the EU talks was to protect the "precious Union of the United Kingdom" despite serious doubts continuing over the Cabinet's support for her Brexit blueprint.
Jeremy Corbyn noted how Mrs May had not mentioned "Chequers" in her recent update to the Commons and in her Conservative Party conference speech, and asked: "Does this mean the Chequers Plan is now dead?"
Mrs May replied: "He asked me if the Chequers Plan was dead, the answer is no."
The Labour leader went on to claim the Tories were too busy fighting among themselves to negotiate effectively with the EU.
"The Prime Minister and her Government are too weak and too divided to protect people's jobs, our economy or ensure there is no hard border in Northern Ireland," argued Mr Corbyn.
"So the Prime Minister has a choice: she can continue to put the Tory Party's interests first, or she can listen to unions, businesses, and put the interests of the people of Britain first. Which is it to be?"
Mrs May hit back, declaring: "Labour can play politics, the Conservatives deliver for the people of this country."
Mr Corbyn pointed out how Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, and Esther McVey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, had refused to say if they backed the Chequers Plan, joking: "Maybe she could share a pizza with them and sort it out."
And he asked the PM to confirm Treasury legal advice to Cabinet that the Government would have to pay the EU a "divorce bill" of £30 billion even if no Brexit deal was secured.
Mrs May replied: "We've been very clear throughout the negotiations in relation to the financial settlement that led to the figure of around £39bn following the December joint report, that this is a country that honours its legal obligations and we will do exactly that.
"I'd also remind members of this House that we've been very clear, as have the EU, that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."
The PM also told the Commons that she remained committed to securing a "good deal" with Brussels that "delivers on the Brexit vote but also a deal that protects jobs and livelihoods and crucially that protects the precious Union of the United Kingdom".
Ian Blackford for the SNP urged Mrs May to negotiate continued membership of the single market and customs union to "avoid an economic catastrophe".
He said: "Prime Minister, go to Brussels and act in the interests of all citizens across the UK and negotiate to keep us in the single market and customs union, that will command the majority in the House of Commons."
The Highland MP added: “Does the Prime Minister not understand that staying in the single market and the customs union is the only deal that will get through this House?”
Mrs May responded by saying: "The proposal that we have put forward is one that delivers on the referendum vote but also ensures that we protect jobs and livelihoods across the United Kingdom."
Later, senior Tory MP Julian Lewis hit out at "shroud-waving" EU negotiators as he claimed a hard Irish border would not materialise as no-one wanted to build it.
The Chairman of the Commons Defence Committee said: “The Irish certainly won't, the British certainly won't, so unless the EU army plans to march in and build it, it surely can never happen."
Mrs May replied: "We're all working to ensure there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, that is the clear commitment of the United Kingdom Government, as agreed by the European Union when we signed the December joint report."
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