Theresa May finally faces her moment of truth about Brexit

Andrew Atkinson, Bloomberg

Published 4:05 pm, Monday, July 2, 2018

It could be a deadly month for Theresa May. Unpopular at home and in Brussels, the British leader will try to restore order with a lock-in in his country, nicknamed the "body bag summit"

. May's goal is to force a decision on how a split of the European Union. Companies want breaks, but if May tries to stay close to the block, she will be accused of treason by the Brexit purists. Will she face the hard of her party? Where to find another fudge?

The May Conservatives are not the only ones at war. The opposition Labor party is fighting against its own Brexit demons with increasing calls for a second referendum.

Support the Prime Minister or resign. These are options facing the big ministers who are heading towards the Friday rally in Checkers in Buckinghamshire, north-west London, with the aim of uniting behind a Brexit approach even as their rivals are Will align

. The idea is that clarity will finally appear in a so-called white paper that will outline the UK's goals for its post-Brexit relations with the bloc.

The magnitude of the challenge facing May is clear. Secretary of the Environment, Michael Gove, said he tore up a government report on future customs options because he felt his concerns had been minimized.

Brexit supporters like Hardline Gove oppose May's favorite option, which involves The UK collects tariffs on behalf of the EU and instead supports an alternative that would see the technology – which does not exist yet – provide the key to minimal border control. A government official on Monday confirmed a BBC report that a third option is now on the table. The official did not give details of the new proposal, which was not made public

This particular argument dragged on for months, the companies concerned finally sounding the alarm

Significantly, the 29 ministers who attend the Cabinet. will be present at the meeting, and a clear majority of them have voted Rest in the 2016 referendum. The question is whether May will use this to pass a version of Brexit deemed too sweet for some.

Prime Minister walks on a tightrope as the white paper must also win the pro-EU Conservatives who threaten to beat the government by supporting an amendment to the trade bill that would keep Britain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.

"The instinct may be to keep everyone on board," Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group wrote in a note. "Although this does not mitigate the EU's growing exasperation, it would have the advantage of giving the government a crucial leeway when negotiations reach their tipping point this fall."

Conservative Brexit divisions test the patience of European leaders for the risk that Britain will crush the bloc without an agreement, the most feared scenario by companies.

None of the leaders that May addressed at a summit last week was very impressed with what she had to say. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said: "The feeling that dominates is the impression that the British continue to negotiate with the British and not with the EU."

Nine months out of the EU, discussions on a future trade agreement have not yet begun. Nor is there any agreement on how to avoid a border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Businesses and Ministries have long been preparing for all eventualities of Brexit – the National Health Service

Stevens said that major planning is underway to ensure that the company has a long history. supply of essential drugs and equipment continues in "any Brexit scenario". The comments are important because catastrophic planning reports by the NHS have been rejected by the government.

May has an advantage in his battles over the Brexit: the opposition Labor party is also divided in the middle.

Dozens of labor legislators challenged chief Jeremy Corbyn during a vote last month by supporting an amendment calling for membership in the European Economic Area, which would leave Great Britain's Britain to participate in the single market, but would mean to accept the free movement of people.

Intensify this week as Union Unite, Labor's largest contributor, holds its annual conference. A poll of YouGov Plc published before the rally revealed that most members supported the public vote on any Brexit agreement brought back from Brussels – a position at odds with that of Labor leaders.

Corbyn said on Sky that "we do not see a second referendum as on our agenda," but it's still a question that continues to be put to him.

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Alex Morales of Bloomberg contributed.