May makes a double concession with Brexit | Line …

PageI12 in Great Britain

From London

Once again on the ropes, Theresa May took two steps back on the policies until yesterday irrevocable. The Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons that if his plan to leave the European Union (EU) was rejected again on March 12, MPs could vote the next day in favor of or against leaving. of the bloc without a concrete agreement, which, according to the forecasts of the own government, the consultants, the unions, the businessmen and the city, would be a blow for the economy.

May also noted that in case of defeat, Parliament could vote for an extension of the date of departure, ie an extension of Article 50, the clause that brought the United Kingdom to begin negotiations and respecting its four-week deadline. March 29th. "If parliament approves this extension, the government will agree to ask the EU to approve this extension and the necessary legislation in this regard," May said. In other words, the House of Commons would begin to dictate, or at least co-direct, Brexit.

With a face swollen by the negotiations, the jet lag (in Egypt at the weekend, between Brussels and London in the last 10 days) and repeated failures of his strategy for Brexit, the Prime Minister urged the deputies to reject it. double concession that she herself made because it would be a scam for the electorate that voted in favor of the exit of the European bloc nearly three years ago. "I want to be totally clear about this.I do not wish the extension of Article 50. Our goal should be to get the agreement of Parliament and allow us to leave the European Union on March 29, "said Mary.

The internal rebellion forced the hand of the prime minister. Last week, three members left the Conservative caucus to protest against the policy followed in May and the possibility of leaving the European Union without agreement. This week, three members of his cabinet issued a thoughtful letter that they may vote on Wednesday (for today) in favor of a joint bill introduced by a Labor MP and a Conservative MP to extend the term of the bill. mandate of Article 50. exclude the possibility of an exit from Brexit without agreement.

According to the BBC, between 15 and 20 ministers and secretaries of state would be willing to support this bill, which would violate the famous principle of "collective discipline" according to which the deputies belonging to the government should vote in favor of all their initiatives. . The double reversal of May is an attempt to disable this time bomb that would have left the government on the verge of leaving Knock.

Today, we will see in the vote of the Parliament if this political strategy ended that, in the case of the month of May, is defined to save time and to remain in function until the next pitched battle. Without an offer of this caliber, the vote on the bill would have been defeated but, with its twists, its broken promises, May seems to have exhausted the patience of many MPs and members of the government: the riddle is to know how to dare to make the jump.

The main fear of MPs is that, as March 29 approaches, May eventually bring the UK to an option that no one wants: the deal that she has negotiated with the United States. EU (with a cosmetic arrangement) or an exit without agreement. In January, the negotiated settlement suffered the largest parliamentary defeat in the history of a government project.

In the Labor Party, Chief Jeremy Corbyn said he would vote in favor of the bill and that, if Parliament did not approve an amendment with its plan to exit the EU (which implies to remain in the Customs Union, ie, adopt the trade policy of the bloc), would favor the realization of a second referendum that would apparently have two options, l 39; May agreement or stay in the EU.