The Prime Minister’s daunting in-tray

The coming months will be Theresa May’s most testing yet as the Prime Minister seeks to convince sceptical MPS to back her Brexit deal and deliver on the result of the 2016 EU referendum

May 2 The Conservatives contest 8,000 council seats across the country, most of which are in the party’s English heartlands. Experts fear large numbers will be lost as voters turn their backs on the party because of the Brexit chaos, while the Liberal Democrats and Greens are predicted to gain from the likely Tory wipeout.

May 23 European Parliament elections are likely to result in a return to the political stage for Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party, which has attracted 1,000 candidates who want to fight the Tories and Labour, and raised “more than £750,000 in small donations over the past 10 days”.

June 21 EU leaders meet at a summit to review Britain’s behaviour as an EU member state in the light of the European Parliament elections amid French fears that Britain will become disruptive.

Late June

Although an exact date has not been finalised, the Government is also set to prorogue Parliament this month bringing an end to the two-year “Brexit Parliament”.

June 30 Mrs May previously said this was the last date when Britain would be out of the EU after Britain failed to leave on March 29. If Mrs May is still Tory leader, it will fuel anger that she has not quit among her critics on the Conservative right.

A new session will mean that Mrs May can bring back her Withdrawal Agreement for a fresh vote by MPS without having to make any major changes agreed by the Commons Speaker John Bercow.

Sept 29 The Conservative Party Conference begins, when Mrs May will be under huge pressure to quit.

Oct 31 Britain is scheduled to leave the EU tonight – on Hallowe’en eve.