‘Dead woman walking’ May races to form a government
LONDON: A former Conservative rival condemned British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday as a ‘dead woman walking’ as she raced to secure the support she needs to stay in power following a disastrous election.
May’s office was forced to backtrack late Saturday after announcing that an outline deal had been agreed with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) to form a government, admitting that talks were still ongoing.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, a member of May’s Conservative party, told the BBC: “What we do have now is an understanding of the outline proposals that would underpin that working agreement.”
But the confusion reinforced a sense of chaos at the heart of government just days before Britain starts the complex and fraught negotiations on leaving the European Union.
May has struggled to reassert her authority after losing her parliamentary majority in Thursday’s snap election, which she had been under no pressure to call.
The Sunday newspapers carried reports that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was set to launch a bid to oust her, although he dismissed them as ‘tripe’.
Former party leaders have warned any immediate leadership challenge would be too disruptive, but most commentators believe May cannot survive in the longterm. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said there could be another election this year or early in 2018.
“It is quite possible there will be an election later this year or early next year and that might be a good thing because we cannot go on with a period of great instability,” Corbyn told the BBC.
“We have a programme, we have support and we are ready to fight another election campaign as soon as may be.”
What we do have now is an understanding of the outline proposals that would underpin that working agreement. Michael Fallon, Defence Secretary