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Karla Adam
London correspondent covering the United Kingdom
January 17th at 1:21 pm
LONDON – Brexit was blocked before. He is stuck now. Will he ever take off? Nobody can say.
After a humiliating defeat on Tuesday in the House of Commons, where members of Theresa May's own party helped categorically reject Britain's plan to withdraw from the EU, the prime minister managed to survive a vote of confidence Wednesday.
On Thursday, in order to break the stalemate and set a plan for Brexit likely to defeat a dramatically divided Parliament, May held meetings with opposition leaders and independent parties at 10 Downing Street.
His official spokesman – whose name does not appear in the protocol – promised that the talks would be held "in a constructive spirit", but he also said that May was unwilling to attack him. to the main problems that led legislators to reject its 585-page Brexit withdrawal agreement.
No, May was clear, she would not support a second referendum, what the opponents of Brexit want, according to the spokesman. ITV News reported that the government had handed the opposition legislator a document that it would take another year to hold another referendum on Brexit.
Nor would the Prime Minister approve permanent membership of a European customs union – something sought by those who want a more moderate Brexit – because, she said, it would then be difficult or impossible to seek free trade agreements. exchange with other countries, such as the United States.
May could not promise to remove the possibility of leaving the EU. without agreement on March 29, what the Labor Party wants to hear.
Finally, no, the Prime Minister would not ask European leaders to delay Britain's departure beyond the date of March, by extending or revoking the European Union. Article 50 – as demanded the Scottish National Party as a precondition for further negotiations.
Why? "Because we do not want to do it," said May's spokeswoman.
In a speech Thursday, Opposition Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn called May's invitation to talk about "cascade".
"If you are serious about reaching an agreement, then" no agreement "has to be ruled out," Corbyn wrote to May.
Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said that Prime Minister Theresa May's offer of multi-party talks on a new Brexit deal is a "coup ridden". (Gareth Fuller / AP)
The Labor leader warned that, although he had lost the first round, he was ready to present new motions to try to overthrow the government in the coming days.
"The government may have survived a vote of confidence – for now," Corbyn said. "But we have a government in name only."
But just as May's conservative party is torn apart by Brexit – divided by unconditional Brexite who just want to go out and those who want a Brexit mild or no Brexit at all – the Labor Party is divided by similar divisions between "leavers" "and the" remaining ".
Mike Gapes, a Labor and Critic Lawmaker from Corbyn, tweeted: "Apparently, Corbyn is ready to hold talks with Hamas, Hezbollah, [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad and Iran without preconditions. But not with the British Prime Minister. Why?"
Downing saw half a dozen simple Labor MPs heading to the firm's offices to discuss with May's ministers the possibility of breaking the Brexit block.
Former Labor Party Prime Minister Tony Blair said Corbyn was to meet with the British leader. Addressing the BBC, Blair said, "In a moment of national crisis, the Prime Minister is asking the Leader of the Opposition to speak? Of course you will talk.
And regardless of May's current bargaining position, Blair said that asking for an extension of Article 50 – delaying Brexit beyond March – is "inevitable".
When he was in government, Blair said: "I would already have discussions with Europe on the conditions of the extension."
The government insists that Britain will leave at the end of March. May's office said it would not attend the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next week, to focus on the Brexit crisis.
Caroline Lucas, the only Green Party MP, met with May and told reporters that the Prime Minister resisted the possibility of delaying Brexit and extensifying Article 50.
The idea of pressing the pause button is gaining ground in Parliament. But time is running out. Any extension would require the unanimous agreement of the remaining 27 Member States. countries.
The most recent polls suggest that support for Brexit may be declining. A YouGov poll released Thursday revealed that once those who claimed they did not know or did not want to vote were excluded, 56% of respondents would choose to stay in the European Union if there was a new referendum, while 44% chose to leave.
Read more
A second referendum on Brexit was once a pipe dream. Some are now wondering if this is the only way out of the chaos.
Theresa May has just warned against a "Brexit without compromise". Here are some of the catastrophic scenarios.
Concerns about immigration motivated the vote on Brexit. Then the attitudes changed.
Today's coverage of Swiss Post correspondents around the world
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