Theresa May faces Brexit revolt as 30 MPs demand to know true cost of deal

MPs across the House of Commons united today to force Theresa May to come clean about the true price of Brexit.

In a fresh rebellion 30 MPs, including nine Tory rebels, put down an amendment to the Finance Bill insisting on an official analysis of how much worse off Britain would be under the Prime Minister’s exit deal compared with staying in the European Union.

The move led by Conservative Anna Soubry and Labour’s Chuka Umunna comes in the wake of Jo Johnson’s accusation in an Evening Standard interview that Mrs May was carrying out a “calculated deceit” by withholding the information.

A senior Cabinet minister today said Britain and the EU are “almost within touching distance” of a Brexit deal.

David Lidington, the de facto deputy premier, said negotiators in Brussels worked “late into the night” but an agreement was not in the bag.

Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson went on the attack, tweeting: “No one is fooled by this theatre. Delay after staged managed delay.

A deal will be reached and it will mean surrender by the UK ... People did not vote for colony status.”Senior Brexiteer ministers issued warnings their support could not be taken for granted if Mrs May gave way on the EU’s demand for an Irish border “backstop” with no end date or escape clause. Several held talks until after 11pm last night in the office of Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, including Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

No decisions were being taken at the weekly Cabinet this morning. Mr Lidington promised: “As the PM has said, it can’t be a deal at any price.”

The new rebellion came as the Government was trying to fend off a potential defeat in a separate Labour-led vote designed to force ministers to publish the top-secret legal advice it has received on the future implications of the exit deal being negotiated in Brussels.

A compromise appeared to be in the air after senior Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker put down an amendment calling for merely a “reasoned position statement” on the legal situation.

Mr Umunna said: “It is vital MPs have all the information necessary to make the most important decision Parliamentarians will be making since the Second World War.”

The nine Conservatives backing the motion are enough to defeat the Government - and include former Attorney General Dominic Grieve and ex-Cabinet minister Justine Greening.

Speaking ahead on the separate vote on the legal advice, which uses the arcane device of “a humble address” to demand the information, Sir Keir said: “It shouldn’t take an ancient parliamentary procedure for ministers to do the right thing and be honest about what type of Brexit deal we’re signing up to.”

But a Tory MP predicted: “There won’t be a big Conservative revolt because Keir has politiciased it too much.”

Senior EU officials were today discussing whether to slap a visa fee on UK citizens of £52 (60 euro) to enter the EU after Brexit. The College of Commissioners was debating whether Britain should be treated as a “third country”.

A no-deal Brexit could cost the NHS £2.3 billion by 2020, a new analysis suggested. It would come from higher purchasing costs and could harm patient care, said the Nuffield Trust think tank.