Hammond plot to undermine Boris – ‘Remain alliance’ set for secret talks with EU chiefs

Former chancellor Philip Hammond is leading the group of rebel MPs and is believed to be working on plans to push through legislation that will force Boris Johnson’s Government to request an extension to Article 50. One Tory rebel said that the group would hold its own discussions with Brussels and European leaders about the length and terms of any proposed extension to ensure it was accepted. The MP said that Mr Hammond had retained an “extensive” list of contacts from his time in office, which included leaders and finance ministers from across the EU.

The unnamed MP said: “The next step is likely to be something that seeks to direct the Government to seek an extension.

“They will need to have an idea of what extension they should be asking Brussels for.”

Another ally of the former chancellor said: “He has a lot of respect from senior figures in Europe.

“They think he was one of the few sensible ones in cabinet.”

A handful of other former cabinet ministers are also said to have retained their international contacts from their time in office.

The list includes: Greg Clark, the former business secretary, David Gauke, the former justice secretary and Rory Stewart who previously held the position of international development secretary.

Yesterday, Tory Remainers snubbed an invitation from Jeremy Corbyn to attend cross-party talks about preventing a no deal Brexit.

They sighted concerns about his attempt to install himself as the head of a caretaker government if Mr Johnson loses a vote of confidence.

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Dame Caroline Spelman, the former environment secretary, said that she would not meet the Labour leader.

She said: “I don’t support his idea. I don’t support a Corbyn-led government and I don’t think he is a fit person to enter No 10.”

The former Tory MP Nick Boles said that he would not attend the meeting either.

He accused the Labour leader of putting party before country in calling on MPs to back him as caretaker prime minister.

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Tory MP Dominic Grieve, who has repeatedly penned motions to prevent a no deal Brexit in Parliament, has also declined Mr Corbyn’s invitation.

He is said to be unavailable to attend the meeting, but would be willing to hold talks with the Labour leader.

But the meeting is likely to go ahead as planned, regardless of the lack of support from Tory MPs as the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Change UK, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have all indicated their support for the talks.

Anna Soubry, another former Tory MP, said that she would attend the meeting but would tell Mr Corbyn that MPs must concentrate on legislative routes to avert a no-deal, instead of a confidence motion.

But yesterday saw renewed hopes that the Withdrawal Agreement could be renegotiated, thus avoiding a no deal departure from the EU.

Mr Johnson met with Emmanuel Macron, and the French President suggested the EU Withdrawal Agreement could be amended to allow the UK to quit the bloc with a deal.

The concession saw the Prime Minister raise his hands in the air in apparent triumph on his return to Downing Street from his talks in Paris.

The French President, in a seeming shift from his hard-line refusal to consider any renegotiation of the Withdrawal Agreement, conceded an “intelligent” solution to break the deadlock over the Irish border backstop could be found with “goodwill” on both sides.