After delaying Brexit vote, May looks set to face leadership challenge

By Costas Pitas and Michelle Martin

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany December 11, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

 

LONDON/BERLIN (Reuters) - An attempt to oust British Prime Minister Theresa May looked to be gathering momentum on Tuesday, a day after her decision to delay a vote in parliament on her Brexit deal for fear of a rout angered many in her Conservative Party.

 

With May on a tour of European capitals to try to secure "reassurances" to calm the crisis at home, the BBC and other media cited sources as saying the required number of letters calling for a no-confidence vote against her had been met.

 

There was little chance of getting confirmation of the leadership challenge - only one member of the Conservative Party knows how many lawmakers have submitted their letters - but her position looked more precarious than it has ever been.

 

With less than four months left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May's premiership and her deal to stave off a disorderly departure from the European Union or a bid to stop Brexit are hanging by a thread.

 

Her removal -- and it is not clear whether she would lose the vote of the whole party in parliament if the required number of letters had been received -- could further complicate Brexit.

 

One aide described the situation as "ominous" after the BBC cited multiple sources as saying the required 48 letters to trigger the vote of no confidence in May's leadership had been reached.

 

The chairman of the Conservative Party's so-called 1922 committee, Graham Brady, has asked to see May on Wednesday after her weekly question session in parliament, the BBC's Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg wrote on Twitter.

 

Lawmaker Andrew Bridgen, a long-standing critic of May, said he believed "Conservative MPs (members of parliament) will vote whether they have confidence or not in a secret ballot at the first opportunity, which I think could be tomorrow night".

 

May's move to postpone the vote on her deal to maintain close ties with the EU after leaving in March prompted an outcry by lawmakers on all sides of the debate - from hardline Brexit supporters to those who want to remain in the EU.

 

Acknowledging that she faced "significant losses" if she had asked parliament to vote on the deal on Tuesday, May had told lawmakers she would seek ways to try to ease their concerns, particularly over the so-called Northern Irish backstop.

 

That took her on a tour of EU capitals on Tuesday. But the news was not good for those who want her to reopen the negotiations and do away with the backstop, an insurance policy that there will be no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland after Brexit.

 

CLEAR EU MESSAGE

The message from the EU was clear: It can give legally-binding assurances about how it interprets the exit treaty, but will not countenance reopening the text itself.

 

Donald Tusk, who will chair an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, tweeted after talking to May: "Clear that EU 27 wants to help. The question is how."

 

According to two sources, Merkel told her own German conservative parliamentary group there would be no more negotiations, but efforts were being made to give Britain reassurances.

 

May told Merkel that it was in nobody's interest for Britain to leave with no accord, the sources said.

 

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said: "The deal we achieved is the best possible. It's the only deal possible. There is no room whatsoever for renegotiation.

 

"But of course there is room enough to give further clarifications and further interpretations without opening the withdrawal agreement."

 

May's team has been pressing ahead with its work to try to get the vote through, with her ministers telling parliament that it will get its vote before Jan. 21.

 

The pound, which has lost 25 cents against the U.S. dollar since the 2016 referendum, fell again amid the reports that May would face a leadership challenge.

 

The biggest obstacle to approval remains the Irish backstop.

 

May's critics say the backstop could leave Britain subject to EU rules indefinitely. The EU has said neither side wants the backstop to take effect, but it has to be part of the deal just in case.

 

With little hope of big changes from the EU, the options open to Britain range from a chaotic no-deal Brexit to risking the wrath of Brexit backers by calling the whole thing off.

 

Both May's Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party have pledged to implement the result of the 2016 referendum, in which Britons voted narrowly to leave the EU.

 

But a rising number of backbench lawmakers, along with three of four living ex-premiers, say the only way out of the impasse may be a new referendum with an option to stay. The EU's top court ruled this week that Britain could abandon Brexit with no consequences up until the moment it finally leaves.

 

Former prime minister John Major, who also faced a Conservative revolt over Europe in the 1990s, said Britain must revoke its divorce notice immediately.

 

"It's clear we now need the most precious commodity of all: time. Time for serious and profound reflection by both parliament and people."

 

(Additional reporting by Michael Holden, Kate Holton, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Peter Graff, Andrew Heavens, Richard Balmforth, Kevin Liffey, Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-12

Brexit was doomed from the start....it is now dead in the water and as a result so is the UK.

 

May (and Corbyn) must go and there needs to be a general election

It's dead but the politicians don't seem to want to acknowledge this yet - they are still insisting it's just pining for the fjords.

 

They are caught, running scared, between worrying about not delivering what the promised  and worrying about delivering something that will make everybody poorer and unhappy.

 

I have no sympathy for them, they promised the impossible as they thought it would win them votes, now they come to deliver on those promises they are caught with their pants down and the public can see their lack of balls.

 

They need to acknowledge they made a mistake - will they ?  

 

21 minutes ago, tebee said:

It's dead but the politicians don't seem to want to acknowledge this yet - they are still insisting it's just pining for the fjords.

 

They are caught, running scared, between worrying about not delivering what the promised  and worrying about delivering something that will make everybody poorer and unhappy.

 

I have no sympathy for them, they promised the impossible as they thought it would win them votes, now they come to deliver on those promises they are caught with their pants down and the public can see their lack of balls.

 

They need to acknowledge they made a mistake - will they ?  

 

who you talking about

34 minutes ago, tebee said:

It's dead but the politicians don't seem to want to acknowledge this yet - they are still insisting it's just pining for the fjords.

 

They are caught, running scared, between worrying about not delivering what the promised  and worrying about delivering something that will make everybody poorer and unhappy.

 

I have no sympathy for them, they promised the impossible as they thought it would win them votes, now they come to deliver on those promises they are caught with their pants down and the public can see their lack of balls.

 

They need to acknowledge they made a mistake - will they ?  

 

"They need to acknowledge they made a mistake - will they ?"

 

Now they know that you are worried about your little pied de terre in France, I'm sure article 50 will be withdrawn immediately. 

It doesn't matter about the 17.4 million voters who voted to leave does it.

Jean Claude Juncker for PM he has done a hatchet job on the Tory's destroyed the pound and will rinse the economy so he is the ideal candidate ???? 

As a 'remainer' she has always had all the credibility of an alcoholic in charge of A.A.  Cleaning up the mess Cameron left was a hopeless task but she opted to take it on. The almost 50/50 split was never going to be silently solved and politicians with their own agenda have just made it worse. One small omission caused all this. Most referendums need a 2/3 majority to change existing rules. But Cameron underestimated the public's dislike of him and his austerity and because he could win elections with 30% of the citizens votes he thought this would be the same. May is just left with all the pieces of a shattered vase and will never get it back together again. 

The Tories should have voted her out a long time ago. And then a new leader should have worked on Brexit. And that new leader would likely also fail. Vote him/her out! And try another one.

Maybe after doing that 3 or 5 times it would finically sink in that no leader can deliver 3 different solutions at the same time. Because it seems they all don't want to accept a compromise.

Vote until you run out of want to be leaders! Maybe, just maybe, at some stage some sanity will return.

 

I’m sure she will find some way of delaying this too. The woman’s got zero credibility and it’s cringeworthy watching her going round with a begging bowl while the other EU leaders giggle behind her back. 

 

They have collectively done a job on her and she still can’t see it. 

11 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

while the other EU leaders giggle behind her back.

And her own MPs laugh in her face...

The UK will never get a deal that is as good as or better than being an EU member. At best the option will be a deal that is the least distasteful. With all the differences amongst all MPs the chances of a vote passing on any deal are pretty much zero. It has turned into fight for power more than a fight for what is the best option for the country. Whatever happens, the damage is already done and it could take decades to recover from.

Tm's views before the referendum 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, vogie said:

It doesn't matter about the 17.4 million voters who voted to leave does it.

 

This is going to be a bit hard for you but:

 

No, it doesn't.

 

 

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by Enoon

 

28 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

This is going to be a bit hard for you but:

 

No, it doesn't.

 

 

Ignorant and thoughtless reply, but you are a remainer, we are used to it.

It will now be possible for the result of the referendum to actually happen. Leave. That was the referendum.

There is no deal involved in that. Once UK leaves, EU will bend over backwards to make a deal.

EU is in a huge financial and political hole. It is mostly composed of basket case countries, disorder.

Take a look at France and another terrorist attack due to EU policies. Check out the debt of Greece, Italy and so many other countries.

 Ms May has enjoyed spending huge swathes of money touring EU with all of her entourage, knowing full well that

her lobbyist deal was never going to make it. She like her lobbyists are nothing more than spongers.

But she has some great photo ops for her album. Eccept when history recalls her a a huge dud.

 

May should never have been PM. Hope she's gone soon. Be a nice Christmas present.

 

Tories should then select a leader, not another Muppet Show star.

 

 

57 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

This is going to be a bit hard for you but:

 

No, it doesn't.

 

 

I think we've heard quite enough from the 17.4M.

Can we proceed with the Brexit deal debate and kick the Tory leadership issue "can of worms" down the road, to 21 Jan?

23 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

It will now be possible for the result of the referendum to actually happen. Leave. That was the referendum.

There is no deal involved in that. Once UK leaves, EU will bend over backwards to make a deal.

EU is in a huge financial and political hole. It is mostly composed of basket case countries, disorder.

Take a look at France and another terrorist attack due to EU policies. Check out the debt of Greece, Italy and so many other countries.

 Ms May has enjoyed spending huge swathes of money touring EU with all of her entourage, knowing full well that

her lobbyist deal was never going to make it. She like her lobbyists are nothing more than spongers.

But she has some great photo ops for her album. Eccept when history recalls her a a huge dud.

 

Yeah good idea,but what if the EU will not bend over for a deal?This is not a poker game.

21 minutes ago, vogie said:

Ignorant and thoughtless reply, but you are a remainer, we are used to it.

Well it is hardly ignorant or thoughtless, candid certainly, and blunt also, but what it is all about now is not what the vote said two years ago, but what can actually be achieved. Realism, pragmatism, and the ability to compromise are the necessary qualities our leaders need to show to get us out of this bloody mess. It has to be blindingly obvious to Leavers and Remainers alike that we have totally fuc##d up. I'm hardly getting 40Bhat to the pound. 

We have to face the FACT that there is no parliamentary majority for:-

May's plan

A Hard Brexit

A general election

A second referendum

Norway +    or Whatever.

In this situation what is the point of attempting to replace May with any of the totally inadequate alternatives. It is just moving deckchairs on the Titanic. Worse it is a total slap in the face to all the people of the UK that the Tories have forgotten their responsibilities to them, and have retreated into an orgy of navel gazing. What is the answer now? I've no idea.

However there is one thing for sure there are virtually no simple answers to really complex problems. I hope that I don't have to read any more of the brain dead drivel on here that cheerily announces that "We just leave" or similar nonsense.

36 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I think we've heard quite enough from the 17.4M.

It is just a few of them now.

Just shouting louder and louder to hide the fact that they are loosing support...

They are scared stiff of a peoples vote, they know the leave vote was a fluke, many of those 17.4 were making a protest vote, they thought remain was going to win by a mile...

 

4 hours ago, tebee said:

It's dead but the politicians don't seem to want to acknowledge this yet - they are still insisting it's just pining for the fjords.

 

They are caught, running scared, between worrying about not delivering what the promised  and worrying about delivering something that will make everybody poorer and unhappy.

 

I have no sympathy for them, they promised the impossible as they thought it would win them votes, now they come to deliver on those promises they are caught with their pants down and the public can see their lack of balls.

 

They need to acknowledge they made a mistake - will they ?  

 

No, because they have not.

 

If there were to be a second referendum, the remainers would be shocked at the new vote which would in all likelihood merely confirm the previous one, with possibly bigger margins.  What many remainers do not understand is that the leavers were not merely concerned with economics but just fed up with 43 years of being led by the nose by the EU down a more and more political path towards a United States of Europe dominated by France and Germany,   

 

What they wanted was simply a Common Market, which was what they originally signed up to.  After more than 40 years of EU membership, for the majority of voters, enough was enough, which was something they had felt for many years but were never given the opportunity to express their view, until Cameron made, what was for him, his big mistake. 

 

The voters in several other European countries are clamouring for their voices to be heard, but unfortunately it seems to take the kind of events in France before the politicians even start to listen.  Eventually, they will pay the price for their arrogance.

16 minutes ago, Basil B said:

It is just a few of them now.

Just shouting louder and louder to hide the fact that they are loosing support...

They are scared stiff of a peoples vote, they know the leave vote was a fluke, many of those 17.4 were making a protest vote, they thought remain was going to win by a mile...

 

That is your opinion, that has no evidence at all (not even polls!) to back it up.

 

But I do agree that brexiters are likely to start shouting very loudly indeed when they (likely) end up with a leave in name only 'deal' - accepted by MPs.....

 

Up until it's only been the remainers shouting, but I suspect things will change.....

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by dick dasterdly

Back on topic, it comes as no suprise that May is in trouble.

 

Not even remainer MPs were stupid enough to accept her leave in name only deal - once they realised the electorate had recognised her lies, and the leave in name only deal......

 

To be fair, I've little time for the media - but they pointed out that May's 'deal' was undoubtedly leave in name only!

 

She has to go, as she has been proven to be a liar.

I am sure Sir Graham Brady has got more than 48 letters calling for a confidence vote in the party leader.

 

I think tomorrow (Thursday) she will call a meeting of all all Tory MP,s, to thrash out a way forward, most Tory MP's understand she has the best deal she is going to get from the EU and the mess is not of her making.  

 

The consensus of the meeting will be no point in putting the EU offer to the commons as it will be defeated, their is nothing that parliament will agree on and the only way forward would be a peoples vote.

 

TM will retain the support of of over 157 of her MP's some of the letters will be withdrawn and the confidence vote will be cancelled.

 

If as I assume the "Hard Brexiteers" Mogg And Johnson, etc, number well less than 50 if the peoples vote contains a "remain" option then she will have the support of the LibDems, SNP, (Sturgeon was on the radio yesterday calling for remain so you might say she has nailed her knickers to the mast) and all the other minor parties represented at parliament except Labour who will oppose it I doubt will be able to get anything like 200 MP's through the opposition lobby with many locking themselves in the toilets  to prevent the party bully boys manhandling them through the lobby) when the division bell rings,   and even some voting with the government.

 

The big issue is how do we stop the clock ticking while we run another referendum??? I doubt there is any legal way to do this under the currant EU constitution or rules.

43 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

That is your opinion, that has no evidence at all (not even polls!) to back it up.

 

https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-a-second-eu-referendum-were-held-today-how-would-you-vote/#

What a shambles! Tories have created a terrible mess , and the Brexiteers before that by overselling Brexit when they might have won by simply being more honest.

 

We have but little time, so there isn't really enough of it to go through even more Tory tribulations.  I doubt the sh..fest can be solved, yet we may as well have a Hard Brexit team in charge of negotiations with a view to negotiating an orderly no deal exit (if that isn't an oxymoron).  Just dope May up on opiates and sit her in the corner for a few months- the least she has to do with running the country the better.????

 

Meanwhile, we should have a confirmation vote, just to check that the electorate is ok with Brexit at all costs.  If they're not it's best to revoke A50.  No point going ahead with something that is not wanted, is there?

 

Personally, I totally resent this Tory Government.  I don't think Labour are much better if I'm being honest.  I certainly think there will be a vicious backlash against the Conservatives somewhere along the line.

 

Also, I would like to say I can live with a no deal Brexit- it would at least fulfil the vote.  It also seizes the initiative.  I can differentiate between Brexit and a truly crap government.

Hopefully we get the 48 votes today. Then I would like this....

 

1. She loses the vote, triggering a leadership election.

2. We get a leaver PM (hopefully Rees-Mogg but Davis or Raab would be OK)

3. We tell the EU we don't want their lopsided deal and they aren't getting 39 billion. If they want a hard border with NI they can create it and police it themselves. Good luck with that!

4. We leave on WTO terms at the end of March.

5. We use the 39 Billion to ease the short term issues in the UK.

6. Once the short term issues have eased (around July 2019) we tell the EU they can have a trade deal with us if they want it and they don't have to pay us even though we have a trade deficit with them. They can think of it as a goodwill gesture to ease their pain as the EU starts falling apart over the next decade.

7. Throw in a free bottle of whisky and a pair of matching shoes for Juncker as a sweetener.

 

Happy Days...