All-out political war has broken out in the United Kingdom ahead of the Brexit vote. That writes Business Insider. After months of negotiations, British parliamentarians will vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's plan on 11 December.
The messages contradict each other, but some sources report that the vote is not going ahead. According to The Sunday Times May plans to return to Brussels next week to pull off better conditions for the United Kingdom (UK).
A majority of the British House of Commons is expected to vote against May's plans on Tuesday, December 11, marking the de facto end of her premiership.
No delay
Stephen Barclay, the Brexit minister, defended the current deal on Sunday 9 December and said there is no question of a postponement. "The vote continues, because it's a good deal, the only deal," he told the BBC† "We will vote on it on Tuesday, so we have 2 full days to debate it."
However, Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary (who reportedly has a crush on May's job) told the BBC that the prime minister should return to Brussels. He implied that the current deal is unacceptable. "If the Prime Minister can go to Brussels and say, 'I'm afraid your Irish solution is not only very unpopular in the country, but also in the House of Commons,' I think they will listen."
"What they want is the best possible solution with the UK," Johnson said. He added that the current backstop agreement, under which Northern Ireland will have to accept some European rules, is absurd. "An agreement without that backstop is certainly possible," he said.
Losing the vote
Esther McVey, former minister for the Conservatives, also spoke on Sunday. Against Sky News she said it would be very difficult for May to stay on as prime minister if she lost Tuesday's vote. McVey did not rule out a battle for leadership.
May's position seems precarious. If she lets the vote go through on Tuesday, her position could be in jeopardy, and not just a little bit. She could call a second referendum or a national election, although both are seen as a catastrophic emergency.
May is not warm to this last option. In an interview with Mail On Sunday she warned again about Jeremy Corbyn. “We have an opposition leader who thinks of nothing more than calling elections, however damaging they may be to the country. I care about the country and my party, and I am convinced that Corbyn in power is a risk we cannot afford.”
Read more on Business Insider:
- UK government backs May's Brexit deal, but not wholeheartedly
- Why the border with Northern Ireland is such a problem
- Interest rates are rising rapidly worldwide, but these opportunities are there
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