UK Premier May faces calls for new referendum on Brexit
FACEOFF IN PARLIAMENT British PM struggles to ’sell’ draft agreement reached with Brussels
LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday struggled to sell a draft Brexit agreement with Brussels to her cabinet, dealing with the unenviable situation of supporters and opponents of UK’S exit from the European Union uniting against her amid growing calls for another vote.
After more than two years of claims and seemingly incompatible negotiating objectives, the draft finalised over days and nights of fractious talks in Brussels envisages continued links with the European Union, in the form of adhering to a “common rulebook”, after the UK leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019.
The situation has infuriated not only hardline Brexiters, who see the UK being reduced to a “vassal state”, but also Brexit opponents who insist that since voters now know better about the realities than they did when they voted in the 2016 referendum, another vote should be held.
Strong words were exchanged during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons. Peter Bone, a prominent Conservative Brexiteer, put it to May: “If the media reports about the EU agreement are in any way accurate you will not be delivering the Brexit people voted for, and today you will lose the sup- port of many Conservative MPS and millions of voters across the country.”
May was closeted in a threehour meeting of her cabinet, seeking support for the draft agreement in the face of serious reservations from leading lights, as Westminster village was agog with talk of resignations after the cabinet meet. May was set to make a statement.
Others ministers and MPS were considering whether to back the draft agreement, since it will be put to vote in Parliament, where those opposed to Brexit are said to be in a majority. There is also renewed talk of May’s tenure in office reaching the “endgame”.
Adding grist to the Westminster mill was the front page of the mass circulation Evening Standard, edited by George Osborne, who was sacked by May as the chancellor. It read “EU takes back control”, infuriating his Conservative Party colleagues.
The pact secured by May is seen as handing back control to the EU, the opposite of what the 2016 Leave vote was supposed to achieve: regain control and sovereignty from Brussels, and be able to forge independent trade deals and immigration policy.
Adding to calls for another referendum, former prime minister Tony Blair said the draft agreement won’t satisfy remainers like him or Brexiteers. FEB 22: British Prime Minister David Cameron announces the Brexit referendum date as June 23, 2016.
JUNE 23: UK holds referendum on its EU membership. 51.89% of the voters opt for ‘Leave’. JUNE 24: Cameron resigns as British PM.
JULY 13: Theresa May becomes the new Prime Minister. FEB 2: The UK government publishes its Brexit White Paper.
JUNE 19: First round of UK-EU
exit negotiations begins. EARLY JANUARY Y: The
Brexit agreementt will be presented to the UK’S House of Commons for approval through a vote. JANUARY-FEBRUARY: If the UK parliament okays the Brexit deal in a vote, the British government will present a new legislation: the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.
MARCH 29: It’s Brexit Day. It will be marked by a series of government-level declarations.