Did Tory Remainer MPs LIE to their voters? Rees-Mogg gets tough with Brexit faint hearts
BREXIT-backing Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at pro-European Tory MPs who “might have misled their voters” by backing an electoral manifesto that clearly stated the UK would be leaving the single market and the customs union – despite now campaigning in favour of a soft Brexit.
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The MP for North-East Somerset vowed to continue his push for a hard Brexit but added he is aware that there are forces, even within his party, which could rebel against the Government to prevent the UK from staying shackled to the bloc.
In a clear attack to Tory rebels who are still backing the Remain side of the EU Referendum, Mr Rees-Mogg told the Telegraph: “Any MP who stood on the Conservative manifesto and did not say I don’t agree with our policy on leaving the customs union and single market has an obligation to consider the manifesto very carefully and the commitments they may have made to their constituents very carefully.
“They need to think very carefully about whether they might have misled their voters.
“They must consider maintaining good faith with their voters.”
They need to think very carefully about whether they might have misled their voters
“Do people feel comfortable saying one thing to their voters in June 2017 and doing something different in May 2018?”
The stark warning follows what many saw as an attempt by Business Secretary Greg Clark to resurrect Project Fear.
Mr Clark warned over the weekend that thousands of jobs would be at risk if the Government abandoned the customs union, and urged PM Theresa May to consider a new “customs partnership” with the EU.
Mr Rees-Mogg responded to Mr Clark by calling Project Fear “defeatist”.
He said: “Project Fear is so utterly craven and defeatist, it is the attitude of managing decline which is so prevalent among the older establishment.”
Blasting the hypothesis of a customs partnership, which would still see the UK linked to the EU’s regulations, the MP for North-East Somerset added: “The customs partnership is just membership of the customs union and the single market by another name.”
But Mr Clark already found leading supporters within the Tories.
Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd backed him on Twitter.
Lord Lawson blasts Greg Clark's customs partnership idea
She wrote: “@GregClarkMP quite right, making the case clearly and yes, passionately, for a Brexit that protects existing jobs and future investment #marr.”
The custom partnership welcomed by pro-EU politicians would see the UK collecting tariffs on behalf of the European Union.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, speaking on a trip to Washington, joined Mr Rees-Mogg in his attack to this scenario.
He said: “If you have the new customs partnership, you have a crazy system whereby you end up collecting the tariffs on behalf of the EU at the UK frontier.