BRITISH PM FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL AFTER BREXIT DRAFT SPARKS FUROR
LONDON— British Prime Minister Theresa May was fighting for survival on Friday after a draft Brexit deal provoked the resignations of senior ministers and mutiny in her party.
More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave the EU as planned on March 29, 2019.
May, who won the top job in the turmoil that followed the 2016 referendum, has sought to negotiate a Brexit deal that ensures that the United Kingdom leaves in the smoothest way possible.
Resignations and mutiny
But Brexit minister Dominic Raab resigned on Thursday over her deal, sending the pound tumbling.
Mutinous lawmakers in her own party openly sought to challenge her leadership and bluntly told her that the Brexit deal would not pass parliament.
“I haven’t appointed a new Brexit Secretary yet but of course I will be doing that over the course of the next day or so,” May said when asked if she had offered it to Michael Gove, the most prominent Brexit-supporting minister in her government.
Gove, 51, gave no comment when asked outside his house whether he would support May. The BBC said May had offered him the job of Brexit minister but he had rejected the job.
Amid the deepest political turmoil since the Suez canal crisis, when in 1956 Britain was forced by the United States to withdraw its troops from Egypt, the ultimate outcome remains uncertain.
Unpleasant scenarios
Scenarios include May’s deal ultimately winning approval; May losing her job; Britain leaving the bloc with no agreement; or even another referendum.
To leave the EU on the terms of her deal, May would need to get the backing of about 320 of parliament’s 650 lawmakers. The deal is due to be discussed at an EU summit on Nov. 25.
Some lawmakers in May’s Conservative Party have said they have submitted letters of no confidence.
When 48 letters are submitted, she will face a leadership challenge.
Leadership challenge
Politicians, officials and diplomats in London openly questioned how long May had left as speculation swirled that a leadership challenge could come soon.
British media said May’s parliamentary whips had been summoned to parliament as a challenge was close.
If a confidence vote is called among her lawmakers, May would need a simple majority of the total votes in order to win.