UK PM rallies ministers on eve of Brexit summit

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May gathered her divided cabinet on Tuesday to seek their support for her approach to Brexit, the day before she addresses EU leaders at a crucial Brussels summit.

Negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union have stalled ahead of the summit, which had been billed as the deadline for a draft deal before Brexit day on March 29.

May is still struggling to reconcile conflicting demands from Brussels and her own MPS, raising fears of a chaotic and damaging divorce.

Several of her senior ministers reportedly met late Monday to coordinate their approach over takeaway pizza, before Tuesday’s regular cabinet meeting focused this week on Brexit.

Media reports this week suggested several Brexit-supporting ministers were considering resigning if May compromised too much with Brussels. Asked about the pizza meeting on Monday, May’s spokesman said: “Cabinet ministers are free to eat whatever they choose.”

But with a deal looking unlikely this week after the latest round of talks broke down on Sunday, the immediate threat of walk-outs appears to have reduced.

The prime minister will still go to the summit, where she will make her pitch to the other 27 EU leaders before they have dinner without her to talk about the next steps in the Brexit negotiations.

Another summit has been pencilled in for mid-november, although some leaders have said it will only go ahead if there is progress this week.