Prime minister tries to muster support of skeptics in her party
LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May sought Monday to rally lawmakers from her Conservative Party behind her leadership amid doubts over her ability to remain in power after last week’s disastrous election result.
May, who is trying to wrap up an arrangement with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party that would allow her to lead a government with a majority of votes in the House of Commons, moved to demonstrate that she understands the frustration within her own ranks following the election.
Britain’s Press Association, quoting two unnamed sources, said May told Conservative lawmakers at a closed-door session that she admitted she was the one who “got us into this mess” and vowed that she would be the one who will “get us out of it.”
The meeting with the rank-and-file, some of whom have called for May to step aside sooner rather than later, was moved up a day.
May has taken the blame for the Conservatives’ relatively poor showing in Thursday’s election, in which the party surprisingly lost its majority.
With opinion polls showing the Conservatives with a commanding lead over the opposition Labor Party, May had called an early election in hopes of increasing her majority in Parliament and strengthening her position in negotiations over Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Instead, the election obliterated her political authority and the party is trying to secure the support of the 10 Democratic Unionist Party lawmakers to assure passage of May’s program.
With a deal still to be confirmed, there was speculation that the announcement of the government’s agenda, known as the Queen’s Speech, could be delayed by from the planned date next Monday. Delay would represent a highly unusual circumstance in a country where the monarch’s schedule is determined months in advance.
May’s failure to get a majority has undercut her tough Brexit strategy, which had raised fears that Britain was heading for a so-called “hard Brexit,” which could potentially see tariffs slapped on British exports to the bloc.
The prime minister’s most prominent potential rival, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, sought to quash any suggestion that she would be ousted imminently. Writing in the Sun newspaper, Johnson stressed that the Conservatives won more votes than at any time since Margaret Thatcher.
“The people of Britain have had a bellyful of promises and politicking,” he wrote. “Now is the time for delivery — and Theresa May is the right person to continue that vital work.”