Brexit: Majority of Shropshire's MPs now support May's deal

In what was seen as a last ditch attempt to win over parliamentary support for her agreement with the EU, Theresa May delivered a controversial address from Downing Street where she suggested that a number of MPs are not on the side of the people over Brexit.

Mrs May needs to secure support from DUP MPs, Labour MPs, or those in the pro-Brexit Conservative group the European Research Group, to get her deal, which has already been defeated twice, through parliament.

It is expected another vote on the deal could take place next week, with the current legal situation meaning that without an agreement – or an extension – the country will leave with no deal on March 29.

Mrs May's speech was met with criticism in some quarters, with warnings of it creating further division between parliament and the public, but it has found backing from constituents and some of the region's MPs.

Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, praised the balancing act attempted by the Prime Minister, and warned party colleagues opposed to her agreement that they are putting Brexit at risk.

He said: "I think the Prime Minister has shown remarkable determination and resilience in trying to deliver on the referendum result through the unprecedented challenges of the scale of the task in the face of a minority government, so achieving consensus on any issue is extremely difficult.

"I have received quite a lot of messages from constituents today who are supportive of her message and there are obviously others who are not but the parliamentary arithmetic is such that it is very difficult to reach a consensus on what option to take forward in a positive way.

"As she said last night parliament has expressed its views about what it does not want, but has been unable to agree on what it does want.

"I remain hopeful that we will secure sufficient consensus next week to proceed with the deal."

Mr Dunne, who has supported the deal in the two previous votes, said he did not want to see a no-deal scenario.

He said: "We have got one final attempt to secure consensus for that but at the moment, as things stand the alternative would be to leave without a deal on Friday next week, which I think would be extremely difficult."

He added: "I have been saying to colleagues who are hard over Brexiteers, they need to recognise the parliamentary arithmetic will stop no deal if it possibly can, so if they vote against the deal there becomes a serious risk of no Brexit being the outcome."

The Prime Minister has been in Brussels at an EU summit attempting to persuade EU leaders to agree a three month delay to the Brexit date – which is still legally set as March 29 – as a way past the deadlock.

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, who along with a group of other MPs attended a meeting with the Prime Minister before she delivered her speech, has also backed Mrs May in saying the result of the referendum must be delivered.

He said: "I do not support the idea of an extension, but if the deal does go through next week, a short extension will be needed. This must be technical, not substantive in nature. I do not support a long extension or an extension without purpose. Brexit must be delivered."

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski, who has changed to support the Prime Minister's deal after voting against it twice, said many of his constituents expect the UK to pull out of the EU on time.

He said: "The interesting thing is there is no other game in town.

"This is the only realistic thing we can go for and get across the finish line.

"What we don't want is an even longer delay.

"This is how we get the deal across the line and avoid an extension."

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, a prominent ERG member, who favours a no deal exit, warned of the potential for "terrible anger" if the country does not leave on March 27.

He said: "It is parliament against the people and the government has not delivered.

"It is this huge conundrum which we have never had before which is that people have gone against the establishment in the referendum and the establishment does not like it and is doing everything it can to thwart the people. "

Mr Paterson said that he believed remain supporting MPs would try to prevent the country leaving with no deal.

He said: "The hysteria about no deal is very real and I think some MPs believe it so will do anything that they can to stop us leaving."

He added: "There will be terrible anger if we do not do this next week."

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies has also reiterated his support for the Prime Minister's deal and said her speech had made her position clear to the public.

He said: "Through making that speech she made her position absolutely clear, MPs know where they are.

"There have been a number of questions around on her future as prime minister and I do not think there is any point her doing anything else other than expressing her view very publicly as she did."