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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 1 april 2019

Brexit creates power vacuum at heart of Britain’s government

By DANICA KIRKA Britain and leave the Euro- their way to a compro-
Associated Press pean customs union so Brit- mise.” Even if May is able
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s ain could negotiate trade to secure a withdrawal
Parliament is deadlocked deals with other countries. deal, more negotiations lie
over plans to leave the Eu- Then, seeking to bolster the ahead because Britain and
ropean Union. The coun- small majority left to her the EU still need to work out
try’s ruling Conservative by her predecessor, David exactly what their future
Party is fractured by an un- Cameron, May called a relationship will look like.
declared leadership con- disastrous early election in In an effort to win support
test. Opposition parties are which she lost 13 seats. That for her deal, May said she
baying for an early general left May as the leader of a wouldn’t lead those talks.
election. minority Conservative gov- That has triggered a Con-
A power vacuum has para- ernment and forced her servative party beauty con-
lyzed the heart of Britain’s into an alliance with North- test among possible suc-
government, dismaying ern Ireland’s Democratic cessors, with newspapers
both the European Union Unionist Party. offering odds on those vy-
and the British public. Though weakened, May ing for the top job. Former
In the next two weeks, kept Brexit strategy in the Prime Minister John Major
British Prime Minister The- hands of the Conservative warned, though, that even
resa May will lead the U.K. Party and more specifically changing leaders would
through domestic and in- her own advisers. do little to break the dead-
ternational negotiations But Brexit cuts across tra- lock in Parliament.
that will decide the fate of ditional political lines. Both “Of course, a new leader
Brexit and determine the May’s Conservatives and may, depending upon who
future of generations. Her the opposition Labour par- it is, have less baggage
task, as it’s been for almost ty are split between those than a prime minister who’s
three years, is to bridge the Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in who want to sever links to had to fight for everything
increasingly bitter divide Parliament Square after the final leg of the “March to Leave” in the EU and those who want from the moment she went
that separates those who London, Saturday, March 30, 2019. to remain close to the bloc. into Downing Street,” he
want to sever links with the Associated Press Even so, May has been re- told the BBC.
EU and those who want day on a variety of Brexit minishing its stature in the luctant to reach out to La- “But it doesn’t change the
to keep the ties that have options, with two ideas — world. “I think it would be bour for fear of deepening numbers. It doesn’t change
bound Britain to the bloc staying in the EU customs very, very bad news in- the split in her own party. the arithmetic. It doesn’t
for almost 50 years. union and holding a sec- deed,” Gauke told the “She feels trapped politi- change the instincts and
“In any other circumstance, ond referendum on Brexit BBC. “I don’t think the Brit- cally,” said Thomas Raines, convictions of people both
they would have rolled her — emerging as the most ish people would thank us if head of the Europe pro- in the Remain and in the
by now, either formally or likely alternatives. we left without a deal.” gram at the Chatham Leave camp.”
informally,” said Tim Bale, While Justice Secretary Da- May’s political weakness House think tank. “Each That leaves the prospect
a professor of politics at vid Gauke said Sunday the stretches back to when she step she takes toward the of calling a general elec-
Queen Mary University of government would have took office in July 2016, less Labour Party will lose her tion in hopes of securing a
London. “She’s the default to “very carefully consider” than a month after Britain support on her right flank.” stable majority government
because no one else wants the wishes of Parliament, he voted 52 percent to 48 per- Complicating the equation in Britain. Labour is eager to
the job.” also said May’s EU divorce cent in favor of leaving the is the staunch opposition of go to the voters and such a
The power vacuum means deal is still the best alterna- EU. Despite the close result May’s erstwhile allies in the move might persuade the
May has almost no lever- tive. Gauke said the prime on such a momentous de- DUP, which refuses to back EU to extend the Brexit talks
age as she tries to engi- minister was “reflecting” on cision, May did little to build her Brexit withdrawal deal for a second time.
neer a compromise with the possibility of bringing it consensus about what Brit- because it treats North- But most Conservatives
U.K. lawmakers who last back to Parliament for a ain’s departure from the ern Ireland differently than are opposed, fearing they
week took control of the fourth vote. world’s largest trading bloc the rest of the U.K., and would be punished for
parliamentary agenda to If the government can’t should look like. the Scottish National Party, three years of deadlock.
debate alternatives to her bridge the gap by April 12, Instead, she set out her which wants to remain in Alistair Burt, who resigned
Brexit deal, which has al- Britain will crash out of the own red lines: Britain must the EU. as foreign office minister
ready been rejected by EU without a plan for fu- end the free movement “Everyone is still convinced after voting against May’s
Parliament three times. ture relations, damaging of people coming in, end they can have their first Brexit deal, told Sky News
The House of Commons is its economy, undermining the jurisdiction of the Eu- choice outcome,” Raines he didn’t think a new elec-
scheduled to vote Mon- the country’s unity and di- ropean Court of Justice in said. “They cannot see tion would be helpful.q