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A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 4 december 2018
UK's May says she'll still have her job after Brexit vote

By JILL LAWLESS Politicians on both sides
LONDON (AP) — British of Britain's EU membership
Prime Minister Theresa May debate oppose the agree-
brushed aside questions ment that May struck with
Monday about whether the bloc — pro-Brexit ones
she will resign if her Brexit because it keeps Britain
deal is rejected by Parlia- bound closely to the EU,
ment next week, saying and pro-EU politicians be-
she's confident she'll still cause it erects barriers be-
have a job after the crucial tween the U.K. and its big-
vote. gest trading partner.
The beleaguered leader May's opponents argue
made her sunny prediction that Britain can renegotiate
while facing another Brexit- the deal for better terms.
related headache - oppo- But the British government
sition lawmakers seeking to and the EU insist that the
force May's government to agreement, which took a
publish legal advice it re- year and a half to negoti-
ceived about Britain's de- ate, is the only one on the
parture from the European table and rejecting it would
Union. mean leaving the bloc
May is battling to persuade without a deal.
lawmakers to support the "There is no Plan B," Dutch
divorce agreement she has Protestors are reflected in a puddle as they wave European flags to demonstrate against Brexit in Prime Minister Mark Rutte
sealed with the EU when front of the Parliament in London, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. said.
the House of Commons Associated Press Rutte cited the "red lines"
votes on Dec. 11. Opposi- drawn by both sides during
tion parties say their repre- deal" Brexit on March 29 "My job is making sure that fused to say what she plans negotiations, including the
sentatives will vote against and could topple the prime we do what the public to do if — as widely predict- U.K.'s refusal to accept the
the deal, and so have minister, her government, asked us to: We leave the ed — the British Parliament free movement of people
dozens of lawmakers from or both. EU but we do it in a way rejects the deal her govern- between Britain and the
May's Conservative Party. May predicted Monday that is good for them," she ment reached with the EU. EU, and the need to keep
Defeat would leave the that despite the blowback told broadcaster ITV. "I'm focusing on ... getting an open border between
U.K. facing a messy, eco- "I will still have a job in two The Conservative prime that vote and getting the the U.K.'s Northern Ireland
nomically damaging "no- weeks' time." minister has consistently re- vote over the line," she said. and EU member Ireland.q

Italy's labor minister embroiled in family business scandal

Antonio Di Maio, at times knowledged problems. He posed their irregular status.
choking up, acknowledg- has distanced himself from Despite the problems
ing he had hired workers them and vowed full trans- posed by the scandal, Luigi
without contracts and say- parency. Di Maio is not alone among
ing his business couldn't sur- Police have also searched Italian politicians who have
vive any other way. the family's Naples-area been tainted by the sins of
Di Maio's son, Italian Dep- homestead after Media- their fathers.
uty Premier Luigi Di Maio, set's Le Iene investigative Former Premier Matteo
leads the 5-Stars, an anti- program, which broke the Renzi was hobbled by a
establishment party that scandal, suggested some corruption investigation
prides itself on the honesty buildings there were unau- involving his father. One
and transparency of its thorized. of Renzi's ministers was ac-
public servants. In his video statement, cused of using her influ-
The labor and tax scandal Antonio Di Maio acknowl- ence to help out the bank
involving the elder Di Maio edged past "errors" and where her father was dep-
is problematic for his son apologized to his fam- uty chairman — a charge
In this Aug. 23, 2018 file photo, Italian labor and development
minister Luigi Di Maio talks to reporters during a press confer- since the campaign that ily and the workers he had she denied.
ence in Rome. brought the 5-Stars to pow- cheated out of employ- Both Renzi and the former
Associated Press er in June emphasized his ment benefits. minister, Maria Elena Bos-
family's honest background But he said his son never chi, have excoriated Di
By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press and Luigi Di Maio's support knew about his labor prac- Maio for what they said was
ROME (AP) — The father of for the ordinary workers and tices and shouldn't be sub- hypocrisy. The 5-Stars led
Italy's labor and develop- small entrepreneurs who ject to what he called "fe- the charge against them
ment minister apologized make up the backbone of rocious and disproportion- when their fathers were in
Monday for hiring workers Italy's struggling economy. ate attacks" from political the spotlight.
off the books for his small After initially saying he opponents. Le Iene inter- "The 5-Stars created a vil-
construction firm but insist- didn't know details about viewed former workers who lainous climate with per-
ed his "errors" shouldn't re- the family business, Di said they were paid in cash sonal attacks. And today,
flect badly on his son. Maio, who heads Italy's la- and when injured on the Di Maio's family is victim
A video posted Monday bor and economic devel- job prevented from filing of the same system," Renzi
on the 5-Star Movement's opment ministries, inquired for worker's compensation said Monday in his weekly
Facebook page featured with his father and ac- since that would have ex- newsletter.q