Ken Clarke on Theresa May's Brexit plan: ‘It’s a dog’s breakfast... but I’ll back it’

Ken Clarke on BBC's Newsnight. (Photograph: BBC) - Credit: Archant

Tory rebel Ken Clarke will support Theresa May’s Brexit deal despite calling it a ‘dog’s breakfast’.

Despite Clarke being one of the most outspoken pro-EU MPs in the Conservative party, and even voting against the triggering of Article 50, the Conservative MP has said he will support the prime minister’s proposed deal in parliament.

Clarke told the BBC’s Newsnight: ‘I will support the deal because at least it gets us through to the transition and then we can decide what our future economic relations are.

‘What we need to do is get to March 29, leave immediately and then start several years of serious negotiations.

‘The people did not vote for tariffs, customs procedures and regulatory barriers.’

Tell me what you would do? asks Emily Maitlis 

Ken Clarke MP says he will back Theresa May's Brexit deal, despite having voted against Article 50#newsnight | @maitlis pic.twitter.com/CUTkFHrs2E
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 20, 2018

The news will be disappointing to Remainers who had hoped that the rebels within the Conservative party would support a cross-party anti-Brexit alliance to vote down May’s and push for a People’s Vote.

Clarke previously claimed there was a ‘cross-parliamentary majority in the House of Commons, that if you had a secret vote, for a perfectly close relationship with Europe’.