May losing support for no-deal Brexit if EU rejects Chequers plan: report

[LONDON] British Prime Minister Theresa May is losing cabinet support for her plan to revert to a 'no-deal' Brexit if Europe rejects the Chequers proposals, The Times newspaper reported, citing sources.

Cabinet ministers including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, foreign minister Jeremy Hunt, environment secretary Michael Gove and interior minister Sajid Javid are looking to prevent Mrs May from locking Britain into a no-deal Brexit, the report said.

The opposing ministers want Mrs May to consider a Canada-style free trade deal if the European Union rejects Mrs May's proposals again at a summit on Oct 18, giving her a Plan B to avoid the deal, the Times said.

The concerns arose after Mrs May said she would prefer a 'no-deal' Brexit to the offer currently put forward by the European Union, stressing that Britain needs to see counter-proposals from the EU to move Brexit negotiations forward.

REUTERS