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Brexit news latest: Theresa May moves to scrap half term for MPs in panic over EU exit

Theresa May today triggered plans for an emergency sitting of Parliament in an attempt to rush through key laws for Brexit.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom announced that the Government was planning to scrap the half-term, mid-February recess for MPs.

The crisis move prompted accusations from Labour that the Government was “staggering from one week to the next” and came after the Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted Brexit might have to be delayed beyond March 29.

Downing Street insisted Britain would still leave the EU at the end of March — even after Mrs May’s demand to replace the Irish border backstop was flatly rejected by European leaders.

Theresa May: going back to Brussels, not in time (AFP/Getty Images)
Theresa May: going back to Brussels, not in time (AFP/Getty Images)

Amid rising fears among senior MPs that the UK is heading for an accidental no-deal departure, Mrs Leadsom apologised to MPs and Commons staff for the looming cancellation of the February recess.

The Commons had been due to rise on February 14 and return on February 25. But the Commons Leader told MPs that the House “may need to continue to sit to make progress on the key business”.

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt (left) has admitted Brexit could be delayed (PA)
Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt (left) has admitted Brexit could be delayed (PA)

Mrs Leadsom added: “I realise that this is short notice ... But I do think our constituents will expect that the House will be able to make progress at this important time.

“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience that this will cause to colleagues, House staff and their families.”

Attempts would be made to limit disruption, including over child care.

Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz criticised the Government, saying: “Is this the business — staggering from one week to the next?”

It is believed to be the first time in at least 20 years that a planned recess has been axed.

Downing Street said the Government remains “determined” to ensure that all the arrangements are in place for Britain to leave the European Union on March 29.

“The Prime Minister’s position on this is unchanged. We are leaving on March 29,” Mrs May’s official spokesman said. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: “The Government should accept reality and seek a postponement.”

Diplomats believe the stand-off with Brussels over a compromise on Britain’s EU “divorce” agreement may be resolved only at the eleventh hour at a summit from March 21 to 22.

Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is true that if we ended up approving a deal in the days before the 29th March then we might need some extra time to pass critical legislation, but if we are able to make progress sooner then that might not be necessary. We can’t know at this stage exactly which of those scenarios would happen.”

Mr Hunt’s remarks came as the Institute for Government think tank warned the UK is unprepared for a no-deal exit because there would still be “extremely damaging” disruption.

Their report predicted that in eight out of 11 policy areas, including health and borders, the Government would be unable to avoid “major negative impacts”.

Mr Hunt admitted that there were still “lots and lots of hurdles” to overcome to achieve a Brexit deal after EU leaders yesterday flatly rejected Mrs May’s demands to reopen the withdrawal agreement. Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl said there was no “magic solution” to the Brexit impasse.

It also emerged that the Prime Minister had a difficult phone call with Donald Tusk, the European Council president, last night. His office called it an “open and frank” conversation — Brussels code for a row.

The Foreign Secretary believes the Commons majority behind Tory grandee Sir Graham Brady’s amendment for “alternative arrangements” to the Northern Irish backstop, paved the way for a breakthrough, provided a solution could be found which did not lead to a hard border in Ireland or threaten the integrity of the single market.

He refused to rule out a technical fix to replace the backstop being demanded by Brexiteers despite Business Secretary Greg Clark casting serious doubts on the idea.

An unlikely alliance of Tory MPs, including Nicky Morgan and Jacob Rees-Mogg, were meeting Mrs May today to discuss the “Plan C” for Brexit they mooted at the start of the week, which would extend the transition period until 2021 and rewrite the backstop.

It is known as the Malthouse compromise, after housing minister Kit Malthouse who brought the warring Tory factions together.