Senior Tory and Labour MPs restart compromise talks on Brexit

Senior MPs from the Tories and Labour will meet throughout the week, but Theresa May faces a fresh challenge from her own side.

By Aubrey Allegretti, political reporter

Monday 22 April 2019 22:30, UK

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - APRIL 11: British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a news conference April 11, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. After May presented her case for a delay, European Union leaders agreed tonight to extend the deadline for Britain's exit from the EU to October 31. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Image: Theresa May could face her period of safety as PM being cut to June
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Talks to break the Brexit deadlock in parliament will restart on Tuesday, as MPs return to Westminster after the Easter break.

Senior Conservative MPs, including the Brexit secretary, are expected to meet their Labour shadows in a series of compromise talks throughout the week.

But the prime minister will face pressure from her own side, with chair of the 1922 committee Sir Graham Brady reportedly set to urge Theresa May to name a departure date.

UK EU
Image: The UK is now on track to leave the EU on 31 October

If she does not, Sky News understands executive members of the group of all Tory MPs could push for a rule change that stops them forcing a no-confidence vote against her before December.

Mrs May is currently immune to being ousted by her colleagues after surviving a bid five months ago, which she won by 200 votes to 117.

A rule change could see the 12-month period halved to six and make her future beyond June uncertain.

Kickstaring the start of a new parliamentary term, the prime minister will gather cabinet ministers in Downing Street.

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She will try to flesh out a plan to get a Brexit divorce deal through the Commons before 22 May - or be forced to take the UK out of the EU with no deal on 1 June or fight the European Parliament elections.

It means Mrs May has exactly a month to get a deal passed, but with compromise talks with Labour set to last all week, the deadline is tight.

UK EU
Image: The UK is now on track to leave the EU on 31 October

The decision to prepare for a new cohort of British MEPs to be elected has provoked fury by some Conservatives, with one county's councillors refusing to campaign for the party.

A poll of 781 Conservative councillors for The Mail On Sunday also shows that 40% of them are prepared to vote for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party.

Tory MPs will have a chance to air the local feeling in their constituencies at a meeting of the 1922 committee at 5pm on Tuesday.

Sky News understands the group's executive will also meet to discuss a change in the rules to force Mrs May out.

Under the terms of a Brexit delay granted by the EU earlier this month, Britain is now due to leave the bloc on 31 October.

Mrs May has called for "national unity" to solve the impasse blocking a Brexit divorce deal passing through parliament, after Tory Brexiteers and Remainers banded together to vote it down three times.