LONDON, March 24, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Prime Minister Theresa May is making a
last-ditch bid this weekend to win support among British MPs for her EU
divorce deal ahead of another pivotal week in the Brexit process — but faced
reports her leadership is under imminent threat.
After securing a short delay to Britain’s departure from the European Union
beyond March, May appealed directly to lawmakers to contact her “over the
coming days as parliament prepares to take a momentous decision”.
“I hope we can all agree that we are now at the moment of decision,” May
wrote to MPs on Friday, as she softened her tone after lambasting them
earlier this week for their intransigence over her plan.
“You have a difficult job to do and it was not my intention to make it any
more difficult.
“People on all sides of the debate hold passionate views and I respect
those differences.”
Next week could see MPs vote for a third time on her unpopular withdrawal
agreement — though May said in her letter this would only happen if there
were signs of “sufficient support”.
The House of Commons has already overwhelmingly rejected the pact twice
since it was struck with the EU last year and the Democratic Unionist Party,
her parliamentary allies, indicated Friday they remain opposed.
The government is set to publish on Monday its plans for the House of
Commons next week.
However, following a particularly chaotic week even for May’s crisis-hit
government, speculation was rife late Saturday that Conservative colleagues
were poised to force her to stand down.
The Sunday Times reported she was “at the mercy of a full-blown cabinet
coup”, with plans afoot for her defacto deputy David Lidington to take over
in a caretaker capacity.
The newspaper said it had spoken to 11 senior ministers who “confirmed that
they wanted the prime minister to make way for someone else” and planned to
confront her at a cabinet meeting on Monday.
The Mail on Sunday said May could be ousted “within days” and Environment
Secretary Michael Gove, a prominent Brexiteer, could take over as interim
leader. – Uncertainty reigns –
Britain’s parliament, and cabinet, has been deadlocked for months over
Brexit, with lawmakers unable to decide how to implement the 2016 referendum
vote to leave, reflecting bitter divisions nationwide.
On Saturday, an estimated one million pro-Europeans marched through central
London demanding another public vote on leaving the bloc, according to
organisers.
Following the agreement with the EU to postpone Brexit — which MPs must
still vote into law next week to prevent a no-deal departure on Friday — the
path forward still remains highly uncertain.
If May’s deal finally wins MPs’ backing Britain will depart on May 22 under
the terms of her deal, but if it is not passed in the coming weeks London
must outline a new plan or face a no-deal Brexit as early as April 12.
A request then for another, likely lengthy, extension would require holding
European Parliament elections in May.
The prime minister and Brexiteers have decried the prospect, saying it
would be unfair to the narrow majority of Britons who voted to leave the bloc
in 2016.
“Am I prepared to go back to my constituents and say we’re not leaving the
EU, we’re going to go for a much longer extension…?” Education Minister
Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC.
“I’m not prepared to do that. I don’t think the prime minister is prepared
to do that.”
– ‘Alternative way’ –
Reports Saturday suggested May was close to allowing MPs so-called
“indicative votes” to reveal the level of support for the various ways
forward.
They range from stopping Brexit altogether or holding a second referendum,
to remaining in a customs union with the EU or its single market.
But ardent Brexiteers in the cabinet are said to be against the move, which
could prompt mass resignations.
Amid the impasse, lawmakers have signalled they could try to wrestle
control of the legislative process away from May’s floundering government to
force indicative votes.
An amendment tabled by a cross-party group of senior MPs earlier this
month, which would have given them temporary control of what motions
parliament considers, failed by just two votes.
Labour lawmaker Hilary Benn, chair of the Commons’ Brexit committee, has
already unveiled an updated version to be laid Monday.
“It aims to start the process of trying to identify whether there is an
alternative way forward that the House of Commons can support,” he said on
Twitter.