Senior members of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government yesterday rallied to her defense amid doubts about whether she will remain in power following a disastrous election result.
As the Conservative Party digested the loss of its majority, government officials suggested both the announcement of the prime minister’s agenda, known as the Queen’s Speech, and talks over Britain’s divorce from the EU could be postponed.
The possible delays come as critics call for cross-party discussions to reach a consensus on the EU after the election undercut May’s drive for a “hard Brexit” that would take the UK out of the European single market.
Photo: EPA
May moved to demonstrate that she understands the frustration of voters by moving up a meeting with rank-and-file Conservative Party lawmakers, some of whom have called for her to step aside. The meeting was rescheduled for yesterday afternoon instead of today.
May’s most prominent rival, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, sought to quash any suggestion that she would be immediately ousted. Writing in the mass-circulation Sun newspaper, Johnson stressed that the Conservatives won more votes than at any time since former prime minister Margaret Thatcher and are still the largest party in parliament.
“The people of Britain have had a bellyful of promises and politicking,” he wrote. “Now is the time for delivery — and Theresa May is the right person to continue that vital work.”
The Conservatives won 316 seats in the House of Commons, six short of a majority, and are now trying to secure the support of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party.
Over the weekend, May fired her top two aides to avoid being toppled by Conservative lawmakers who were furious at being shut out of decisionmaking during the campaign, and restored former secretary of justice Michael Gove to the Cabinet.
Gove, a long-time opponent who was dismissed when May became prime minister last year, will now serve as secretary for the environment.
Conservative leaders yesterday sought to shift the debate away from May’s wounded leadership and onto complex Brexit talks, which were formally set to begin next week.
David Davis, the Cabinet member in charge of Brexit, said talks with the EU might not start on Monday because it would clash with the Queen’s Speech, but they would still begin next week.
“It may not be on the Monday because we also have got the Queen’s Speech that week and I will have to speak in that, and so on,” he told Sky News.
The BBC reported that the Queen’s Speech was likely to be pushed back a few days.
A leading business organization yesterday said the political uncertainty is leading to a “dramatic drop” in confidence.
The Institute of Directors (IOD) survey said company directors see no clear way to resolve the political situation quickly. They also believe another election would negatively impact the UK economy.
“It is hard to overstate what a dramatic impact the current political uncertainty is having on business leaders, and the consequences could — if not addressed immediately — be disastrous for the UK economy,” IOD director-general Stephen Martin said. “The needs of business and discussion of the economy were largely absent from the campaign, but this crash in confidence shows how urgently that must change in the new government.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
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