[Published: Tuesday January 22 2019]
 Brexit could 'break up Britain,' says PM
LONDON 22 Jan (ANA) - Prime Minister Theresa May has told MPs she will again press the EU for fresh concessions to allay the concerns of Tory and Democratic Unionist Party about the “backstop” border protection mechanism for the Northern Irish border.
And she surprised her critics by scrapping plans to charge EU citizens £65 to register for settled status allowing them to remain in the UK after Brexit.
Her hopes were bolstered by a positive reaction from Tory Eurosceptics and the DUP to her new push for concessions Brussels while the Polish government floated the idea of a five-year time limit on the backstop.
Mrs May announced her alternative plan to MPs, seeking to relaunch her drive for a deal after her Withdrawal Agreement was rejected in an historic Commons defeat for her Government last week.
She told MPs she had “listened to colleagues across Parliament from different parties and with different views” during a series of cross-party talks in recent days.
While Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had boycotted the discussions, other meetings with MPs from both sides of the Commons had been “constructive”, she said.
But the Prime Minister insisted she had “deep concerns” about demands from opposition and some Tory MPs for a second referendum, pointing out that organising the poll would require delaying Brexit by extending the EU’s Article 50 departure process.
“Our duty is to implement the decision of the first one,” she said.
“I fear a second referendum would set a difficult precedent that could have significant implications for how we handle referendums in this country - not least, strengthening the hand of those campaigning to break up our United Kingdom.”
Mrs May added: “I also believe that there has not yet been enough recognition of the way that a Second Referendum could damage social cohesion by undermining faith in our democracy.”
She also dismissed calls from MPs for her to rule out a no-deal Brexit.
“I believe this would go against the referendum result and I do not believe that is a course of action that we should take, or which this House should support,” she said.
Some of Mrs May’s firecist critics on the Tory and DUP benches struck a more constructive tone following her outlining of her Plan B.
DUP Deputy leader Nigel Dodds praised the Prime Minister for ruling out any extension to Article 50 and signalling her renewed determination to overhaul the backstop.
"In recent days, we have had good engagement with the Prime Minister.
"It is encouraging to see that the core issues which led to the House rejecting the withdrawal agreement are being focused upon in a really serious manner,” the North Belfast MP said.(ANA)
FA/ANA/22 January 2019-------
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