UK ministers tell May to ask EU for delay or risk fall of her government
BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May has been warned by ministers she has five days in which to announce she will delay Brexit or face a mass rebellion that risks bringing down her government.
Earlier this week, Amber Rudd, Greg Clark, David Gauke and David Mundell effectively challenged the prime minister to sack them by vowing to support a backbench bid to take a no-deal exit from the EU off the table.
They warned Mrs May in a Downing Street meeting that as many as 22 members of the British government were prepared to vote for a backbench bill that would force her to request an extension of Article 50.
Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said if his party won power he would renegotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union and could hold another referendum, as he comes under pressure to sup- port giving the public another chance to stay in the bloc.
The British parliament is deadlocked over the country’s departure from the EU after resoundingly rejecting Mrs May’s plan last month, throwing up several outcomes, including leaving without a deal or a second referendum.
Mr Corbyn, when asked if he would hold a referendum on any deal on any deal he negotiated, told Sky News: “We’d consider putting that to the public.”
Asked to clarify if he was considering calling for another referendum, Mr Corbyn said: “That’s the point we’re discussing now in the party.”
This comes after nine Labour MPs quit the party this week over its approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism.
Earlier John McDonnell, the second most powerful man in the Labour Party, gave his strongest indication yet that Labour is close to backing a second public vote and said he would campaign for remain if one was held.
Mr McDonnell said Labour was “moving towards” a second referendum on Brexit. He added that an amendment calling for a public vote which was being tabled for debate next week by MPs “could be a solution”.
The party’s shadow finance minister said that any referendum would have remaining in the EU as the alternative to the deal.
“If we were going on a People’s Vote based on a deal that has gone through parliament in some form, if that got voted down then you’d have status quo, and that would be remain,” he said.
“I’d campaign for remain and I’d vote for remain.”
Mrs May has ruled out staging a second vote, saying parliament should respect the 2016 referendum when 52pc of Britons who cast a vote chose to leave the EU. But supporters of a second referendum say it is the only way to break the deadlock in parliament by asking for the people to decide.