Theresa May's Brexit plans 'dead as a dodo', says Tory moderate who helped her become leader

Sir Mike Penning said the prime minister is treating Tory MPs like children on the 'naughty step'

A key ally of Theresa May has said that her proposals for Brexit will not get through parliament and are “dead as a dodo”.

Sir Mike Penning was rewarded with a knighthood after helping the prime minister run her leadership campaign, but accused Ms May of treating her MPs “like children who belong on the naughty step”.

The ex-minister is seen as a moderate and said in an interview that Ms May’s approach was pushing MPs like him to join forces with the more hard-Brexit backing European Research Group, run by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Sir Mike said: “We’re just seeing this all from one end of a telescope and she needs to immediately now turn that telescope around.

“Because if she comes back with Chequers it’s dead as a dodo.”

The MP helped to orchestrate Ms May’s 2016 leadership campaign, but argued she is “deluded” if she thinks Tory Eurosceptics can be persuaded to vote for any Brexit deal based on Chequers.

He went on: “To say to the likes of myself, ‘it’s Chequers or a hard Brexit’, it’s like making us sit on the naughty step at school.

“She’s driving MPs like me to the ERG, because they are the only ones actually representing Conservative MPs and their constituents.”

Old Etonian Mr Rees-Mogg and the European Research Group last week published alternative proposals to Ms May’s plans, suggesting a looser relationship with the EU through a trade deal.

We’re just seeing this all from one end of a telescope and she needs to immediately now turn that telescope around. Because if she comes back with Chequers it’s dead as a dodo

Conservative MP Sir Mike Penning 

Sir Mike said: “I don’t need to be led by an old Etonian who uses language which most of my constituency including me don’t even know.

“Others out there have been sceptical about the ERG, they don’t want to be labelled swivel-eyed, but we stood on a manifesto pledge to deliver Brexit, not remain half in half out.”

It comes as Ms May prepares for bilateral meetings with EU leader in Salzburg in a bid to sell her Chequers proposals, which would see the UK stay in a single market for goods and adhering to a ‘common rule book’.

UK government sources said that Ms May used Wednesday night’s dinner to acknowledge the difficulties and that she had “never pretended Brexit would be easy or simple”.

She made clear the high stakes of the negotiations over the coming weeks if a deal is to be struck this autumn in time for ratification ahead of March 29, 2019.

She said: “I believe that I have put forward serious and workable proposals.

“We will, of course, not agree on every detail, but I hope that you will respond in kind. The onus is now on all of us to get this deal done.”