‘I’ll fight with everything I’ve got’
Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight for her job in a leadership challenge on Wednesday triggered by Conservative legislators, saying a change could jeopardise Britain’s divorce from the European Union.
Less than four months before the United Kingdom is due to leave on March 29, Brexit is in chaos, with options ranging from a potentially disorderly no-deal exit to another referendum that could reverse it.
Speaking hours before the vote of confidence on her leadership, May said she would battle for her premiership with everything she had.
In a stark warning to Brexitsupporting opponents who instigated the challenge, May said if they toppled her then the EU exit would be delayed and perhaps even stopped.
A new leader would not have time to renegotiate a deal with the EU and secure parliamentary approval by the end of March, meaning the Article 50 withdrawal notice would have to be extended or rescinded, she said.
“A change of leadership in the Conservative Party now would put our country’s future at risk and create uncertainty when we can least afford it.
“Weeks spent tearing ourselves apart will only create more division just as we should be standing together to serve our country,” she said, adding that she would contest the vote “with everything I’ve got”.
A secret ballot was due to be held late on Wednesday night in a room at the House of Commons.
Before the vote, May was due to speak to legislators at a closed meeting.
According to the rules, May could be toppled if a simple majority of Conservative MPs vote against her, though a significant rebellion could also undermine her position.
At least 185 of her 315 Conservative lawmakers had expressed support for her by Wednesday afternoon.
Brexit is Britain’s most significant political and economic decision since World War 2, though pro-Europeans fear it will weaken the West as it grapples with the United States presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China.
The outcome will shape Britain’s economy, have farreaching consequences for the unity of the United Kingdom, and determine whether London can keep its place as one of the top two global financial centres.
May, a 62-year-old vicar’s daughter who voted to remain in the EU, won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 EU referendum but promised to implement Brexit, while keeping close ties to the bloc, as a way to heal a divided nation.
But on Monday she abruptly pulled a parliamentary vote on her deal – which seeks to keep Britain closely aligned with the EU after its exit – in the face of a probable rout.
Her trade minister, Liam Fox, said the government might not even put it to a vote unless the EU gave further reassurances on the so-called Irish backstop.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the 27 other EU members would not change the Brexit deal the EU has spent two years negotiating.
Brexit-supporting lawmakers in her party say May has betrayed the people’s vote in negotiations, while opponents say she struck a deal that is the worst of all worlds – out of the EU but with no say over many rules it has to abide by.
“Theresa May’s plan would bring down the government if carried forward,” legislators Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker said.
“But our party will rightly not tolerate it.
“Conservatives must now answer whether they wish to draw ever closer to an election under Mrs May’s leadership.
“In the national interest, she must go.”
A schism over Europe in the Conservative Party over Britain’s relationship with the EU contributed to the fall of all three previous Conservative premiers – David Cameron, John Major and Margaret Thatcher.
Cameron bet all on a referendum he lost in 2016.
Now, May – whose personal standing was already weakened by a snap election in 2017 which cost her a parliamentary majority – also sees her own fate at risk over Europe.
Meanwhile, EU summit chair Donald Tusk said on Wednesday EU leaders would issue a statement on Brexit late on Thursday after hearing from May on the state of Britain’s plans to leave the bloc.
In a letter to leaders, the European Council president said May would brief the other 27 leaders before dinner on Thursday and that after a dinner discussion devoted to foreign affairs, May would leave them to “adopt Brexit conclusions”. –