Jacob Rees-Mogg to warn UK could face 'biggest national crisis since Suez'
2 min read
Jacob Rees-Mogg is set to warn Theresa May against maintaining close ties to the EU through an agreement that would lead to the “most almighty smash to the national psyche”.
The chairman of the 60-strong European Research Group will pile fresh pressure on the Prime Minister by insisting that failure to return control of powers from Brussels to Britain’s would be akin to Britain's disastrous intervention in Egypt in 1956.
“What would that mean for this nation? If we were not to leave, if we were to find a transition bound us back in? Well it would be Suez all over again,” he will say in a speech this Thursday to mark one year until Brexit Day.
“It would be the most almighty smash to the national psyche that could be imagined," Mr Rees-Mogg will argue.
“It would be an admission of abject failure, a view of our politicians, of our leaders, of our establishment that we were not fit, that we were too craven, that we were too weak to be able to govern ourselves.”
Writing in the Sunday Express Mr Rees-Mogg said the transition deal meant not “a single extra power” would be returned from Brussels by next year’s 29 March leave date, adding that it would be “one of the greatest failures in our island story” were they not to be.
The warning comes days after rebel Tories, including Mr Rees-Mogg and senior Ukip figures launched a protest which led to boxes of haddock were dumped in the Thames.
The act came after UK negotiators signed off on a transition deal which gave European fishermen full access to British waters until the day Britain quits the EU.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
