Forge a new UK, come what May

The task before Theresa May is to unite the divided Tories and the dis-United Kingdom

If the days after the June 23 Brexit vote reaffirmed Harold Wilson’s dictum that a week is a long time in politics, a fortnight can be more eventful. What started as a way to assuage Eurosceptic feelings in the Conservative party has led to the most politically turbulent phase in British politics in contemporary memory: a prime minister resigns; aspirations of two high profile Tories — Boris Johnson and Michael Gove — lie in tatters; the Labour leader faces a leadership contest less than a year in the post; the markets are on a rollercoaster; a Remainer is chosen as the prime minister to lead Brexit; and the once Great Britain is diminished in the eyes of many as ‘Little England’.

The saga of intrigues, opportunism and worse associated with the EU referendum can be expected to be soon reflected in popular culture, but behind the play in newspaper headlines on Theresa May taking over as the next PM — ‘Monday Mayhem’, ‘May Day’, ‘Maggie May’ — the task before her is daunting, to say the least. The second woman PM in British history may be set for an equally historic tenure as the first: Margaret Thatcher. At stake is not only redefining Britain’s vision of itself outside the EU and on the international stage, but also making the best out of a bad bargain by reconciling the many contradictions in negotiations to extricate Britain from the EU. May does not want to trigger off anything until the end of the year Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets out the twoyear exit process. But European leaders have signalled their impatience and want to get it over with and move on.

Brexit is the biggest item in May’s in-tray. At the heart of Brexit negotiations is the ambition to get the same trade access and facilities as a member of the EU but without agreeing to the ‘freedom of movement’ of EU citizens. The implications for London’s reputation as the capital of finance and business are enormous, with Paris and Frankfurt already beckoning banks and businesses to relocate. The task before May is not only to lead Britain out of the EU, but also unite the divided Conservative party and the dis-United Kingdom — demand is growing to hold another independence referendum in the pro-EU Scotland. Given her formidable reputation as a no-nonsense home secretary, May appears to be the best person to deal with the situation. In other words, May is set for the test of a lifetime that she cannot afford to fail, come what may.