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WORLD NEWS Monday 5 February 2018

UK’s May under pressure as Conservatives at war over Brexit

By JILL LAWLESS what it wants. Tensions an end to the present un-
Associated Press within May’s government certainty.”
LONDON (AP) — British are spiking ahead of meet- Euroskeptic politicians have
Prime Minister Theresa May ings of senior ministers this also turned on civil servants
was under mounting pres- week to hammer out a ne- for allegedly promoting a
sure Sunday to take sides gotiating position. gloomy picture of the eco-
in the Conservative Party’s Sunday’s newspapers nomic impact upon Britain
civil war over Brexit, as a teemed with allegations of for leaving the bloc.
new round of talks be- plots against May by “hard After last week’s leak of
tween Britain and the Euro- Brexit” rivals including For- government documents
pean Union is set to begin. eign Secretary Boris John- forecasting that Brexit will
Since becoming prime son and Jacob Rees-Mogg, hurt the economy, Rees-
minister in 2016, May has head of the pro-Brexit Euro- Mogg accused civil ser-
walked a fine line be- pean Reform Group in the vants of “fiddling the fig-
tween two feuding fac- British Parliament. ures.”
tions in her party: those The Sunday Times claimed May’s grip on power was
who want a clean break, pro-Brexit lawmakers are weakened when she called In this Friday, June 9, 2017 file photo, Britain’s Prime Minister
even if it means trade bar- prepared to topple May an early election last year Theresa May listens as the declaration at her constituency is
riers with Europe, and those if she tries to compromise in hopes of increasing her made for in the general election in Maidenhead, England.
who want to keep Britain’s and keep Britain in the EU’s majority and strengthening Associated Press
economy closely aligned tariff-free customs union. her hand in Brexit talks. In- did not make clear what net committee that will de-
to the 28-nation EU. They accuse Treasury chief stead, voters left her atop sort of final relationship with cide on the government’s
EU negotiator Michel Barni- Philip Hammond, who fa- a minority government that the EU the government Brexit stance is more united
er is due to meet British Brex- vors a “soft Brexit,” of trying relies on support from a wants. than many think.
it Secretary David Davis in to block Britain’s EU exit. small Northern Ireland party Home Secretary Amber “I think that we will arrive
London on Monday ahead Brexit-backing Conserva- to stay in power. Rudd said Britain was open at something which suits
of a new round of talks this tive legislator Bernard Jen- May insisted last week to “either a customs ar- us all,” Rudd told the BBC.
week. The two sides have kin urged May to rein in that she is “not a quitter” rangement or a customs “There will be choices to
just months to negotiate fu- Hammond, writing in the and intends to lead Britain partnership” as part of a be made within that, but
ture relations before Britain Sunday Telegraph that a through Brexit. deal to deliver “frictionless” we all want the same thing,
leaves in March 2019. majority of British people May’s allies defended her trade. which is to arrive at a deal
First, Britain must decide “want a clean Brexit and leadership on Sunday, but And she insisted the Cabi- which works for the U.K.”q

Macedonia There were also reports al- name implies territorial Rejecting any compromise
leging that anarchists at-
claims on its own province on Greece’s part, Theodor-
tacked a biker carrying a of Macedonia, home of akis called for a referen-
Continued from Page 8 proaches. Greek flag and a person one of the most famous dum on the issue.
About 700 left-wing and wearing a T-shirt com- ancient Greeks, Alexander The squabble has prevent-
“The overwhelming major- anarchist protesters set up memorating the participa- the Great. ed Macedonia from joining
ity of the Greek people...ir- a counter-demonstration tion of Greek mercenaries Officials in Skopje counter NATO, to which Greece al-
respective of their opinions nearby, bearing banners in the massacres of Muslim that their country has been ready belongs. The left-led
(on the issue) agree that calling for Balkan unity. civilians in Bosnia during the known as Macedonia for a governments in both coun-
major foreign policy issues “Macedonia belongs to its 1990s. long time. tries have pledged to seek
cannot be solved through bears” read one banner. The name dispute broke out Composer and former min- a solution this year, and
fanaticism and intoler- Dozens of riot police were after Macedonia gained ister Mikis Theodorakis, 92, have been holding talks
ance,” he said in a state- deployed to keep the two independence from Yugo- the keynote speaker at the with U.N. negotiator Mat-
ment. demonstrations separate. slavia in 1991. rally, repeated the contro- thew Nimetz.
Tsipras used the occasion Suspected far-right sup- The country is recognized versial claim that Greece’s The most likely solution will
to attack Greek opposition porters attempted to at- by international institutions neighbor wants to expand be to add a modifier such
leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis tack the counter-demon- as the Former Yugoslav Re- into Greek territory. as “new” or “north” to the
and his fellow conserva- stration, but were prevent- public of Macedonia, even “Using the name Macedo- republic’s name. But the
tive, former Greek Prime ed by police who used stun though about 130 countries nia as a vehicle and twist- proposals have triggered
Minister Antonis Samaras, grenades and tear gas to refer to it simply as Mace- ing historical events to a protests in both countries.
for allegedly trying to use hold them back. donia. Many Greeks refer ridiculous extent, they ac- The crowd at Sunday’s
Sunday’s rally for their ad- The far-right side respond- to it by the name of its cap- tually seek to expand their rally in Athens jeered
vantage and to paper ed by throwing rocks at ital, Skopje. borders at the expense of when speakers mentioned
over their own differing ap- police. Greece argues use of the ours,” Theodorakis said. Nimetz’s name. q