Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 25 March 2019

U.K. PM May faces heavy pressure to step down to save Brexit

By GREGORY KATZ The confrontation may was far-fetched specula-
Associated Press come to a head at a Cabi- tion. He said May is doing a
LONDON (AP) — Embattled net session expected Mon- “fantastic job” and that he
Prime Minister Theresa May day. Under Conservative has no desire to take her
was scrambling Sunday Party rules, May cannot place.
to win over adversaries to face a formal leadership Still, May thus far has been
her Brexit withdrawal plan challenge from within her unable to generate enough
as key Cabinet ministers own party until December support in Parliament for
denied media reports that because she survived one the deal her government
they were plotting to oust three months ago. But she and the EU reached late
her. may be persuaded that last year. Lawmakers vot-
May spent the afternoon her position is untenable if ed down the Brexit plan
ensconced in a crisis meet- top Cabinet ministers and twice, and May has raised
ing at her country resi- other senior party members the possibility of bringing it
dence Chequers with fel- desert her. back a third time if enough
low Conservatives and out- Despite headlines about a legislators appear willing to
An effigy of British Prime Minister Theresa May is wheeled through spoken Brexit advocates Cabinet coup, there was switch their votes.
Trafalgar Square during a Peoples Vote anti-Brexit march in like Boris Johnson, Jacob no indication from Down- The Cabinet is focused on
London, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rees-Mogg and others ing Street on Sunday that a the best way to get May’s
Associated Press who would prefer to leave resignation was near. Two withdrawal plan passed in
the European Union with- of the people mentioned the House of Commons,
out a divorce deal rather as possible successors — Lidington said.
than delay Britain’s depar- Cabinet Office Minister Da- The U.K.’s departure from
ture from the bloc further. vid Lidington and Treasury the EU was set to take
Her office released a chief Philip Hammond — place on March 29, but
statement afterward giv- expressed strong support the absence of an ap-
ing no hint about whether for May. proved divorce agreement
she had gained any new Hammond said Sunday prompted May last week
backing. It said only that that senior party members to ask the leaders of the 27
they discussed “whether plotting to oust May were remaining EU nations for a
there is sufficient support” being “self-indulgent.” He postponement.
to bring her Brexit divorce said a change of leader- The leaders agreed to de-
plan back to Parliament for ship would not provide a lay Brexit until May 22, on
a third vote. solution to the U.K.’s politi- the eve of the EU Parlia-
The prime minister has cal deadlock on Brexit. ment elections, if the prime
found her authority weak- “We’ve got to address minister can persuade
ened after a series of set- the question of what type Parliament to endorse her
backs in Parliament and of Brexit is acceptable to twice-rejected agreement.
her inability to win mean- Parliament, what type of If she is unable to rally sup-
ingful concessions from way forward Parliament port for the deal, the Euro-
EU leaders who refuse to can agree on so that we pean leaders said Britain
sweeten the Brexit deal. can avoid what would be only has until April 12 to
The Sunday Times claims an economic catastrophe choose between leaving
that 11 Cabinet ministers of a no-deal exit and also the EU without a divorce
plan to tell May to resign so what would be a very big deal and a new path, such
a caretaker leader can be challenge to confidence as revoking the decision to
put in her place to kick start in our political system if we leave the bloc or calling
the stalled Brexit process. didn’t exit at all,” Ham- another voter referendum
She faces growing pressure mond said. on Brexit.
from within her own party Lidington, mentioned as a Parliament may hold a se-
either to resign or to set a possible caretaker prime ries of votes this week to
date for stepping down as minister should May be determine what Brexit pro-
a way to build support for ousted, said Sunday that posals, if any, could com-
her Brexit plan. talk of a Cabinet revolt mand majority support.q