Theresa May loses Boris Johnson, but faces the Brexit rebels – for the moment | Policy

Theresa May warned the uncompromising Brexiters to take the risk of handing over power to Jeremy Corbyn after Boris Johnson became the second minister to resign within 24 hours, claiming that Britain "was moving toward the status of colony". The prime minister spoke to Conservative MPs for an hour, warning parties divided against losing elections and telling his party that "to lead, it is to decide".

She then returned to Downing Street to fill the gaps left on the government benches by several resignations, prompted by Brexit Secretary David Davis, who resigned late Sunday night.

"If we do not meet, we risk the election of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister," said a minister, summarizing what was said at the meeting. "At least half a dozen people have argued this point and the Prime Minister has also responded: what's good for the country, it's a conservative government."

Downing Street announced the resignation of Johnson as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. About the sweeter Brexit plan agreed at Checkers on Friday.

Johnson was to hold a summit on the Western Balkans on Monday afternoon but was instead locked up in his official residence with close councilors, considering his position.

In a highly motivated resignation letter, he warns that the current Brexit plan meant that Britain was "really heading for colony status" and accused the prime minister of "launching our vanguard into the battle." ".

On Monday night, Johnson was replaced as Foreign Secretary by Jeremy Hunt, who was replaced in turn as Health Secretary by Matt Hanbad, as the Prime Minister undertook a reshuffle to consolidate his position. their loyalty to May in recent months. Hunt recently won a significant increase in resources for the NHS after a showdown with Chancellor Philip Hammond, and is widely regarded as a potential future leadership candidate.

As the flamboyant public face of the Vote Leave campaign, Johnson's departure deepened the sense of crisis at Downing Street, and increased the chances that May could face a vote of no confidence in the coming days.

If 48 Conservative MPs write letters of no confidence to the 1922 Backroom Chair, Graham Brady He would face an immediate vote, but he said on Monday night that this point had not been made. not been achieved.

Many supporters of the Prime Minister believe that she would win a contest and cement her authority; But May would face a leadership challenge if she lost, with Johnson among the potential candidates.

When asked if May was contesting a vote of no confidence, a Downing Street source simply said, "Yes."

He added, "There is no reason to think otherwise."

The carefully choreographed meeting lasted more than a week. The week resulted in an agreement that May signed with his cabinet, which would create a "UK-EU Free Trade Area" for goods, governed by a "common regulation".

But the resignation of Davis, followed by his number two Steve Baker, of the EU's exit department, broke this truce and pressured Johnson to follow suit.

In his resignation letter, Johnson said, "Friday, I recognized that my argument was too little to carry, and congratulated yo You must at least make a cabinet decision on the way to to follow. As I said at the time, the government now has a song to sing. The problem is that I practiced the words during the weekend and that I find that they sink in the throat. "

In his equally sharp response, the Prime Minister said:" If you are not able to provide the necessary support for this transaction, in the interest of the United Kingdom, it is fair that you had to resign. She added that she was "sorry, and a little surprised" about her resignation after the discussions in Checkers.

her recent promise to spend more on the NHS – which she claimed was partly funded by the "Brexit Dividend." Johnson was the minister most closely badociated with the controversial Vote Leave statement that Brexit would provide an additional 350 million pounds a week for the NHS.

Davis was replaced as secretary of the Brexit by his colleague Dominic Raab Baker was replaced by Chris Heaton-Harris, another Brexiter, who sparked controversy last year after asking universities to provide details on their teaching on the EU.

Brussels has not yet clarified how the EU27 will respond to Checkers' agreement – the government believes it represents an "evolution" of its bargaining strategy.

An Elder Source Brussels insisted that they were unperturbed by Davis' resignation, rejecting it as "British policy". "Let's see how it goes, we negotiate with the negotiators."

Davis' dissatisfaction had increased over the last few months because of the important role played by May's chief negotiator, the top official Ollie Robbins , in the talks.

The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, tweeted: "Politicians come and go but the problems they created for people remain.I can only regret that the idea of ​​#Brexit did not leave with Davis and Johnson, but … who knows? "

The government's offer to follow the EU's" common regulation "on standards for food and goods , updated in 1997, aims to allow the United Kingdom to diverge on the regulation of digital standards. and for other services.

Ministers insist that the United Kingdom will not accept free movement after Brexit and that there will be no preferential treatment for citizens of the United States. EU coming to the UK. , but the former secretary of Brexit had inadvertently made a "forced play" – a move in chess that leaves only the other choice, but to make an unpleasant move

"Boris had already given up to a resignation had he missed another one that he would have been seen as cowardly, "said the friend. After Checkers' summit, it appeared that Johnson had been discussing attempts to sell the May Brexit plan as a "polishing of a poop".

A Brexit suggested that other resignations could follow in the weeks and months ahead. "They will continue, one by one, until they juggle with Checkers or go away."

Another Leaving, Chris Green, Member of Parliament for Bolton, resigned from a junior government position as PPS to Transportation Secretary Chris Grayling after the 1922 meeting, saying that he was not going to be in charge. had not been convinced. Conor Burns MP, former Parliamentary Parliamentary Secretary of Johnson, also resigned.

However, others said that there was a show of support for the month of May at the 1922 meeting, with deputies who were presenting walls and tables.

Robert Buckland, the Solicitor General, said: "The window" and stated that the reception to the 1922 Committee had exceeded expectations. "If you'd told me two hours ago that it would so we would end the day, I would have bit your hand. "

As Johnson's resignation was announced, Labor MPs were informed of the government's mild Brexit, planned by the de facto deputy of May, David Lidington, in a sign that Downing Street is beginning to accept that he will need to rely on the support of all parties to get his plans through parliament without the support of the uncompromising Brexiters. of Brexit, Keir Starmer, who wrote in The Guardian, urged the Prime Minister to let Parliament agree on the next steps.

"Theresa May was able to kick in the box repeatedly, but now she is out of the way. It is time for the majority in parliament to be heard. It is a majority that rejects the extreme Brexit approach advocated by some in the conservative party, "he said.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, President of the European Brexit Research Group Conservative MPs, said, "That the government had informed the Labor Party." If they intend to put this deal on the back of the Labor votes, this would be the most discordant thing that They can do. "