British MEPs warn that Theresa May’s government is ‘imploding around her’

UK deputy Catherine Stihler calls on British Prime Minister to back second Brexit referendum.
Photo credit: PA Images

By Martin Banks

Martin Banks is a senior reporter at the Parliament Magazine

20 Nov 2018

UK MEPs Catherine Stihler and Charles Tannock have warned that Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal deal could create a constitutional crisis if, as expected, it’s rejected by the UK parliament.

Their comments come at the start of what has been described as a “critical week”, both for May and the draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

On Monday, May was trying to win over the British business world to the deal and, later in the week, she is due to travel to Brussels.


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This all comes ahead of a special EU summit on Sunday where EU leaders are supposed to sign off on the deal.

On Monday, Stihler told this website that “Brexit will be an unmitigated disaster and I am fighting hard to stop it. The overwhelming majority of MEPs in Brussels, including our friends in Ireland, want the UK to remain - apart from UKIP MEPs.”

She added, “Theresa May’s government is imploding around her. Her deal will make Britain poorer, and no MP who cares about the prosperity of their constituents will back it.

“The Prime Minister must back a People’s Vote (second referendum) and put control back into the hands of the British public.”

"Theresa May’s government is imploding around her. Her deal will make Britain poorer, and no MP who cares about the prosperity of their constituents will back it" Catherine Stihler MEP

Some of May’s fiercest critics are within her own party and Charles Tannock, a senior British Conservative MEP, is also unimpressed with the current situation.

He told this website, “If I were to look into a crystal ball the vote in late December or early January 2019 in the House of Commons may well result in a defeat of the Government's withdrawal agreement, creating a constitutional crisis."

The ECR group deputy said, "In the event of a no deal outcome, the British Labour Party will push for a general election and a vote of no confidence, which is very unlikely to succeed. But there is a bigger chance of a second referendum people's vote or being agreed."

Their comments come as May continued her “charm offensive” on the Brexit deal with a speech to UK Business leaders.

“If I were to look into a crystal ball the vote in late December or early January 2019 in the House of Commons may well result in a defeat of the Government's withdrawal agreement, creating a constitutional crisis" Charles Tannock MEP

The Prime Minister said there was “an intense week of negotiations ahead of us,” adding, “During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship and I am confident that we can strike a deal at the [European] council that I can take back to the House of Commons.

“The core elements of that deal are already in place. The Withdrawal Agreement has been agreed in full, subject of course to final agreement being reached on the future framework.”

Elsewhere, May said on Sunday that discussions over the future UK-EU relationship were still ongoing, reiterating that, “We won’t agree the leaving part until we’ve got what we want in the future relationship… Getting that future relationship right is necessary. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

May also said she will go to Brussels this week to hold talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of the weekend’s EU summit.

The uncertainty surrounding a potential no confidence vote led to calls to postpone Sunday’s summit although EU national leaders such as German chancellor Angela Merkel have insisted there can be no changes to the draft agreement.

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