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Under cloud UK PM Theresa May to try again for Brexit deal support
There were questions about May’s longevity in office after Conservative and other MPs expressed outrage at her address to the nation on Wednesday night, when she squarely blamed MPs for not taking a decision on the withdrawal agreement.
The House of Commons will debate and vote next week on the EU withdrawal deal in Prime Minister Theresa May’s third attempt to secure its passage, after the European Union agreed to a brief, conditional delay to Brexit beyond the due date of March 29.
There were questions about May’s longevity in office after Conservative and other MPs expressed outrage at her address to the nation on Wednesday night, when she squarely blamed MPs for not taking a decision on the withdrawal agreement.
Positions hardened after her address among MPs who were inclined to support her agreement, which is unlikely to be passed when reintroduced next week. It is also uncertain if speaker John Bercow will allow the motion given his recent ruling that the same motion cannot be brought in the same session if it has been rejected.
Also read: EU gives Theresa May another two weeks to avoid a no-deal Brexit
The agreement was rejected twice heavily in the house in January and earlier this month. EU leaders and others expressed frustration and worse over the continuing uncertainty, and inability of May to come up with a clear way forward.
May faced a testing time during the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, as prime ministers and presidents of 27 member-states questioned her about her plans if the agreement were again voted down in the house.
The council agreed to an extension until May 22 if the agreement is passed, but limited the extension to April 12 if it is again voted down, adding increasing pressure on May, MPs, businesses and others in the UK as well as in the European Union.
Donald Tusk, European council president, said after the delay dates were decided: “What this means in practice is that, until that date, all options will remain open, and the cliff-edge date will be delayed. The UK government will still have a choice of a deal, no-deal, a long extension or revoking article 50.”
A major rally is scheduled in London on Saturday to seek another referendum on the UK membership of the EU, while a petition seeking revoking article 50 and stopping Brexit quickly garnered nearly 3 million signatures.
