Hard Brexiteers are like jihadis, says Tory MP
Colleagues put their heads in their hands or tried to stifle laughter as former minister addresses Parliament
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Your support makes all the difference.A Conservative Party MP has compared people who want a hard Brexit to “jihadis”, during a debate in the House of Commons.
Claire Perry, a former minister, warned her colleagues against succumbing to "hysteria" as she discussed triggering Article 50, suggesting this could let extreme factions take control.
Her choice of language caused some of her colleagues to cringe, wince, and put their heads in their hands, while rebel Remain voter Anna Soubry appeared to struggle to stifle laughter.
Ms Perry, MP for Devizes in Wiltshire, also warned she might rebel on some amendments to the Tories' Brexit Bill' in her speech.
MPs had met to discuss the fate of EU nationals in the UK after the country leaves the union.
Ms Perry said: “I have to say that the tone of this debate… sometimes borders on the hysterical.
”I feel sometimes I am sitting along with colleagues who are like jihadis in their support for a hard Brexit . ‘No Brexit is hard enough! Begone, you evil Europeans, we never want you to darken our doors again!’“
She continued: ”Well people say ‘steady on Claire’, I’m afraid I heard speeches last week exactly making that point.
“And the point of this is the more we get this out in the open, the more we are not led by some of the more hysterical tabloid newspapers out there, but actually have an open and frank conversation with each other about what we want to do better.”
Politicians have spent days debating late into the night amendments to a Bill which will give Theresa May permission to trigger Article 50, beginning the two year process of exiting the EU.
On Wednesday or Thursday, MPs are expected to approve what could be the last Commons hurdle to Brexit.
Ms Perry campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, saying: “It is my belief that the greatest economic growth and prosperity will be delivered by remaining inside the Union.”
Wiltshire voted to leave the EU by 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent.
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