UK politics professor on reported delay of Brexit vote
682 views · Published 15 December 2018 · 3:48 · Indexed 3 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(10 Dec 2018) An analyst suggested on Monday that the British prime minister's likely delaying of a parliamentary vote on Brexit was a bid to retain her job. "It appears to be the case that Theresa May has been convinced by party managers that she cannot possibly win this vote and she's very likely to lose it by a very wide margin, said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University in London "If she were to lose it really badly that could possibly threaten her premiership," he added. May looked set to postpone Parliament's vote on her European Union divorce deal on Monday to avoid a shattering defeat, throwing Brexit plans into chaos just weeks after Britain and the bloc finally reached an agreement. The House of Commons Speaker's office said May would make a previously unscheduled statement to lawmakers about Brexit at about 3:30 pm (1530 GMT). The announcement came as May held talks with her Cabinet about the next steps in the Brexit process. The Press Association news agency and other British media outlets said May had decided to postpone the vote scheduled for Tuesday. May's office insisted on Monday morning that the vote would definitely be held. All signs have pointed to a big defeat for the prime minister in Tuesday's vote - a result that could sink May's deal, her leadership, or both. An updated House of Commons business statement said there would be a statement on "business of the House" after May's address, indicating a sudden change to the parliamentary schedule. Bale suggested that May might be hoping to "wring some extra concessions out of Brussels and hope that they might be enough to persuade some waverers on her own side to vote for a slightly tweaked withdrawal agreement." He suggested that the likelihood of a second referendum on Brexit had "increased markedly over the last two or three weeks actually" as "it's going to be very difficult to get an agreement that satisfies parliament." "I think Theresa May's position after today is going to be a lot more shaky than we had assumed," Bale added. Meanwhile on Monday the pound sank amid the political chaos, hitting an 18-month low against the US dollar. May's Conservative government does not have a majority in the House of Commons, and opposition parties - as well as dozens of Conservative lawmakers - say they will not back the divorce deal that May and EU leaders agreed upon last month. Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc on March 29. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/271763d9a5503fc718f9fc23d96a8a7f
