Senior members of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government rallied to her defence on Monday amid doubts over her ability to remain in power following a disastrous election result.
As the Conservative Party digested the loss of its majority in last week’s election, 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 European Union could be postponed.
Sky News reported the speech would be delayed a few days a highly unusual circumstance in a country where the monarch’s schedule is determined months in advance.
The possible delays come as critics urge cross-party discussions to reach a consensus on Britain’s exit from the EU. Ms. May’s failure to get a majority has undercut her tough Brexit strategy, which had raised fears that Britain was heading for a so-called “hard Brexit”, which could potentially see tariffs slapped on British exports to the bloc.
Expected to stay on
Ms. May moved to demonstrate that she understands the frustration of voters by moving up a meeting with the powerful 1922 Committee of the party’s backbench MPs, some of whom have called for her to step aside sooner rather than later. The meeting will now be held Monday afternoon instead of Tuesday. While some members of her party have said she will have to eventually go, Ms. May is expected to stay on as Prime Minister at least for the coming weeks.
“I don't detect any great appetite amongst my colleagues for presenting the public with a massive additional dose of uncertainty by getting involved in a self-indulgent Conservative Party internal election campaign,” Graham Brady, the 1922 committee chairman, told BBC.
The Prime Minister’s most prominent potential rival, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, sought to quash any suggestion that she would be ousted imminently. Writing in the Sun newspaper, Mr. Johnson stressed that the Conservatives won more votes than at any time since 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.”
Gove is back
Ms. May has restored former Justice Secretary Michael Gove to the Cabinet in another move designed to show she was willing to listen to critics. Mr. Gove, a long-time opponent who was dismissed when Ms. May became prime minister last year, will now serve as Environment Secretary.
Conservative leaders on Monday sought to shift the debate towards the complex Brexit talks, which are formally set to begin next week. David Davis, the Cabinet member in charge of Brexit, said talks with the EU will begin next week.
Mr. Davis suggested the government would focus on the divorce proceedings before moving on to trade. The divorce issues include the rights of EU citizens in Britain as well as U.K. citizens in the EU, how much Britain will have to pay to cover previous spending commitments and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
(With Reuters inputs)
