Britain's May tries to break Brexit deadlock with offer of 'new deal'

[webfact]

Britain's May tries to break Brexit deadlock with offer of 'new deal'

By William James and Elizabeth Piper

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves church near High Wycombe, Britain May 19, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May set out a "new deal" on Tuesday for Britain's departure from the European Union, offering sweeteners to parliament including the chance to vote on whether to hold a second referendum to try to break the impasse over Brexit.

 

Three years after Britain voted to leave the EU and almost two months after the planned departure date, May is mounting a last effort to try to get the deeply divided parliament's backing for a divorce deal and leave office with some kind of legacy.

 

The odds do not look good.

 

May offered what she called "significant further changes" but many lawmakers, hardened in their positions, have already decided not to vote next month for the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, legislation that implements the terms of Britain's departure.

 

Speaking at the headquarters of PricewaterhouseCoopers, May appealed to lawmakers to get behind her deal, offering the prospect of a possible second referendum on the agreement and closer trading arrangements with the EU as incentives.

 

"I say with conviction to every MP or every party: I have compromised, now I ask you to compromise," she said.

 

"We have been given a clear instruction by the people we are supposed to represent, so help me find a way to honour that instruction, move our country and our politics and build the better future that all of us want to see."

 

By offering the possibility of holding a second vote on her deal and a compromise on customs arrangements, May hopes to win over opposition Labour lawmakers, whose votes she needs to overcome resistance in her own Conservative Party.

 

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party could not vote for the Withdrawal Bill, describing May's new offer as "largely a rehash of the government's position" in talks with the opposition that broke down last week.

 

The prime minister has also infuriated Brexit-supporting lawmakers, who have described a customs union with the EU as no Brexit at all.

 

Several leading Conservative eurosceptics such as former Brexit minister David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg said they would not vote for the bill in early June.

 

Former foreign minister Boris Johnson and ex Brexit minister Dominic Raab, who are the top two favourite choices among Conservative members to replace May according to an opinion poll published last week, also said they would oppose the deal.

 

And Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which props up May's government, said the "fatal flaws" of her original deal remained. They fear the divorce deal could see Northern Ireland split from the rest of the United Kingdom.

 

'GIMMICK'

May's movement towards what many describe as the "Remain" lawmakers, who want to stay in the EU, is a shift for a prime minister who has long said she is against a second referendum and staying in a customs union with the bloc.

 

She may be counting on the fact that parliament - which would have to back any new referendum - has so far opposed any second public vote and also that a "temporary" customs union might just be weak enough for some in her party to accept.

 

But it signals how her earlier strategy, to keep Brexit supporters on board, has failed and the last-ditch attempt to get Labour lawmakers - if not their leader - behind her is simply too little, too late, some say.

 

"It's a gimmick from a desperate PM who has run out of road, refuses to compromise and for three years has sidelined parliament and the country," Labour lawmaker Seema Malhotra told Reuters.

 

Brexit-supporting Conservatives were equally unconvinced.

 

David Jones, a former minister, described the speech as "unacceptable" and predicted that the move just before Thursday's elections to the European Parliament would only buoy support for veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage's Brexit Party.

 

"I believe more Conservatives will vote against it," he told Reuters. "Regrettably, it will probably also boost the Brexit Party vote on Thursday."

 

May wants to get her withdrawal deal, agreed with the EU last November, through parliament so she can leave office as promised having at least finalised the first part of Britain's departure and prevented a "no deal" Brexit.

 

The deal has been rejected three times by parliament but many businesses fear that the abrupt departure of an exit with no deal agreed would cause an economic shock.

 

Finance minister Philip Hammond rammed the point home in parliament on Tuesday, saying a no-deal Brexit would leave Britain poorer. He was expected to send the same message to business leaders in a speech later in the day.

 

"The 2016 Leave campaign was clear that we would leave with a deal," he was set to say, according to advance extracts.

 

"So to advocate for 'no deal' is to hijack the result of the referendum, and in doing so, knowingly to inflict damage on our economy and our living standards. Because all the preparation in the world will not avoid the consequences of no deal."

 

(Additional reporting by Costas Pitas and Kylie Maclellan; Editing by Stephen Addison, Gareth Jones and Frances Kerry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-22

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[Brigand]

Doesn't matter what she offers up as she is a lame duck that has cocked it up along with her remoaner cabinet. Democracy has been voided in the UK as for it to work then it needs the consent of the loser and this aspect is struggling in other places too. Just go for Canada +++ off the self and be done with it.  

[Chomper Higgot]

Brexit failed again.

 

Parliament can’t sort it out.

 

Put it back to the people.

[nauseus]

32 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Brexit failed again.

 

Parliament can’t sort it out.

 

Put it back to the people.

Not Brexit - just May.

[JonnyF]

This woman is like a bad smell that you just can't get rid of.

 

Go Theresa, nobody likes your duplicity or your surrender treaty. Just go. 

[Kadilo]

For Christ’s sake woman quit now and step aside.

It’s got to the embarrassing situation now where people from all sides are just going to vote against it to get rid of her. Only her arrogance and over inflated ego is keeping her from quitting now rather than keep pretending she has something new to offer. 

[terryw]

I doubt that the grey men in suits will change the rules so she can be voted out of office. Everyday she does more harm to democracy.

 

This pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister will have to be dragged by her hair out of 10 Downing Street.

[evadgib]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Brexit failed again.

 

Parliament can’t sort it out.

 

Put it back to the people.

By Monday it'll be obvious why they daren't. 

[Chomper Higgot]

25 minutes ago, terryw said:

I doubt that the grey men in suits will change the rules so she can be voted out of office. Everyday she does more harm to democracy.

 

This pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister will have to be dragged by her hair out of 10 Downing Street.

She and the party that chose her as PM and then  chose her as PM again were voted into office.  

 

'Democracy' you say.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, evadgib said:

By Monday it'll be obvious why they daren't. 

This has a familiar ring to it. 

 

A bit like 'By the 29th of March'.

 

I guess you are expecting the EU to come begging by then. 

[evadgib]

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

This has a familiar ring to it. 

 

A bit like 'By the 29th of March'.

 

I guess you are expecting the EU to come begging by then. 

The only familiar ring is the Chomper-esque guffaw! ????

[natway09]

Looking from the outside I see it a little differently to most of you posters.

May tried & worked very hard dealing with the EU parliament who of course did not want

to grant any concessions to the UK & did not want them to leave, & what everyone is forgetting is that they made it very hard to even negotiate.

She finally got a deal, took it back to the chicken farm where they proceeded to

pick to bits everything she had achieved all of the chickens just protecting their patch.

The deal was there & maybe now lost . Why not just leave if so hellbent on destroying themselves. 

I eagerly await the new smart ar.. who thinks they can get a better deal & in the meantime 

is that Rome burning,,,,maybe not but it is smouldering

[Pedrogaz]

May's new deal....exactly the same as the 'old deal'. Yes let's have our highly paid and pampered MPs vote for the fourth time on the same deal. Great idea Theresa. I'm not sure I agree with the idea of women leaders of this is your idea of how to get Brexit.

Just leave....no deal at all. After we have left, and paid no money at all to the EU, then negotiate a deal from a position of strength. A post Brexit, trade deal makes sound economic sense, and is a win-win for both sides as the EU sell much more to Britain that Britain does to the EU. Germany looks as if it is going into recession, not helped by Trump trade wars....they won't like losing the VW-Audi-Merc-BMW sales on the UK as well.

[dick dasterdly]

51 minutes ago, evadgib said:

By Monday it'll be obvious why they daren't. 

It will be interesting to see the result of MEP elections.

 

I'm not sure this would be a reason to stop another referendum, but it is likely to make them terrified of reversing the activation of article 50!

[dick dasterdly]

3 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

May's new deal....exactly the same as the 'old deal'. Yes let's have our highly paid and pampered MPs vote for the fourth time on the same deal. Great idea Theresa. I'm not sure I agree with the idea of women leaders of this is your idea of how to get Brexit.

Just leave....no deal at all. After we have left, and paid no money at all to the EU, then negotiate a deal from a position of strength. A post Brexit, trade deal makes sound economic sense, and is a win-win for both sides as the EU sell much more to Britain that Britain does to the EU. Germany looks as if it is going into recession, not helped by Trump trade wars....they won't like losing the VW-Audi-Merc-BMW sales on the UK as well.

"I'm not sure I agree with the idea of women leaders of this is your idea of how to get Brexit."

 

How to ruin an otherwise reasonable post.....

[ResandePohm]

1 hour ago, terryw said:

I doubt that the grey men in suits will change the rules so she can be voted out of office. Everyday she does more harm to democracy.

 

This pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister will have to be dragged by her hair out of 10 Downing Street.

Sounds more like Trump!

[soalbundy]

23 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Looking from the outside I see it a little differently to most of you posters.

May tried & worked very hard dealing with the EU parliament who of course did not want

to grant any concessions to the UK & did not want them to leave, & what everyone is forgetting is that they made it very hard to even negotiate.

She finally got a deal, took it back to the chicken farm where they proceeded to

pick to bits everything she had achieved all of the chickens just protecting their patch.

The deal was there & maybe now lost . Why not just leave if so hellbent on destroying themselves. 

I eagerly await the new smart ar.. who thinks they can get a better deal & in the meantime 

is that Rome burning,,,,maybe not but it is smouldering

That is the problem, either no deal (very bad for the UK) or a compromise deal (bad for Brexiters) there was never ever going to be a lot on the table for the UK. Easy for Farage he would go kamikasi and get no deal and when it goes tits up for the UK he would go and live in Europe, he has enough money, let the peasants groan.

[Thingamabob]

42 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Looking from the outside I see it a little differently to most of you posters.

May tried & worked very hard dealing with the EU parliament who of course did not want

to grant any concessions to the UK & did not want them to leave, & what everyone is forgetting is that they made it very hard to even negotiate.

She finally got a deal, took it back to the chicken farm where they proceeded to

pick to bits everything she had achieved all of the chickens just protecting their patch.

The deal was there & maybe now lost . Why not just leave if so hellbent on destroying themselves. 

I eagerly await the new smart ar.. who thinks they can get a better deal & in the meantime 

is that Rome burning,,,,maybe not but it is smouldering

Rubbish.

[dick dasterdly]

7 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

That is the problem, either no deal (very bad for the UK) or a compromise deal (bad for Brexiters) there was never ever going to be a lot on the table for the UK. Easy for Farage he would go kamikasi and get no deal and when it goes tits up for the UK he would go and live in Europe, he has enough money, let the peasants groan.

The problem with this is that everyone knows the may/eu deal to be very bad indeed - the worst possible of all 'deals' and certainly not leaving the eu!  Plus Farage initially left politics when he thought the referendum result would be respected, and has now returned to UK politics as a result of the opposite happening.

[tebee]

 

[dick dasterdly]

40 minutes ago, tebee said:

 

Not really IMO.

 

MPs aren't supporting the eu/may deal (latest or otherwise) as they know that the electorate know this to be an extremely bad deal - and are very worried as to how this will affect them at the next GE.

[WillyPlatt]

Lying in bed currently listening to the today programme on radio 4.

Every party in the UK, from the DUP to the SNP is being interviewed and giving their own entranced view as to why they will not support this deal.

May will go and a bitter battle will ensue over the summer to see if a one nation Tory will be elected or a hard brexit candidate, Boris Johnson, will get in.

The UK is in a world of trouble.

Meanwhile, for readers of this board, sterling will drop lower and lower against the thai baht.

55 baht before brexit and i will be happy to see 40 baht on my next trip in 2 weeks.

For those that have sold up and moved to Thailand the current events must be frightening.

What a complete and utter mess blighty has got itself into.

[nauseus]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

Looking from the outside I see it a little differently to most of you posters.

May tried & worked very hard dealing with the EU parliament who of course did not want

to grant any concessions to the UK & did not want them to leave, & what everyone is forgetting is that they made it very hard to even negotiate.

She finally got a deal, took it back to the chicken farm where they proceeded to

pick to bits everything she had achieved all of the chickens just protecting their patch.

The deal was there & maybe now lost . Why not just leave if so hellbent on destroying themselves. 

I eagerly await the new smart ar.. who thinks they can get a better deal & in the meantime 

is that Rome burning,,,,maybe not but it is smouldering

You don't know that May tried & worked very hard and she wasn't "dealing" with the EU parliament - that probably would have been better.

 

[nauseus]

4 minutes ago, WillyPlatt said:

Lying in bed currently listening to the today programme on radio 4.

Every party in the UK, from the DUP to the SNP is being interviewed and giving their own entranced view as to why they will not support this deal.

May will go and a bitter battle will ensue over the summer to see if a one nation Tory will be elected or a hard brexit candidate, Boris Johnson, will get in.

The UK is in a world of trouble.

Meanwhile, for readers of this board, sterling will drop lower and lower against the thai baht.

55 baht before brexit and i will be happy to see 40 baht on my next trip in 2 weeks.

For those that have sold up and moved to Thailand the current events must be frightening.

What a complete and utter mess blighty has got itself into.

It's already 40. You'd better get out of bed!

[bristolgeoff]

She has little chance even the fourth time round,not liked and is remainer.she be sacked soon enough and hated like brown and Blair is now

Sent from my SM-T580 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[sammieuk1]

Looks like the same debate will be had on the 29th march 2020 with this cocktail of piffle ????

[Loiner]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party could not vote for the Withdrawal Bill, describing May's new offer as "largely a rehash of the government's position" in talks with the opposition that broke down last week.

 

Several leading Conservative eurosceptics such as former Brexit minister David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg said they would not vote for the bill in early June.

So this is supposed to be her bold new deal. It's not a deal with the EU, only a 'deal' with Liebour to try and garner enough of their votes to get her WAB through parliament. According to Corbyn's quote he and his MPs have seen through it and won't support her. According to some reports, fewer Tory MPs will support her than the last two times she pulled her trick. So her Surrender Treaty will be voted down a fourth time; no capitulated exit; no second referendum. 

By Monday's EU results announcement the Brexit Party will have decimated the others, again in democratic polls. They won't dare try to revoke Article 50. Unless the EU gives way with some concessions (also possible after eurosceptic decimation) they have nothing else to offer. Roll on our slow slide exit by default No Deal.  

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, Brigand said:

Doesn't matter what she offers up as she is a lame duck that has cocked it up along with her remoaner cabinet. Democracy has been voided in the UK as for it to work then it needs the consent of the loser and this aspect is struggling in other places too. Just go for Canada +++ off the self and be done with it.  

 

You clearly have no idea what the British constitution and its representative democracy is.

 

It isn't an absolute democracy. Switzerland has an absolute democracy but other "first world" democracies don't/

 

That's because they don't want a simple majority by a small margin dictating to a nearly as big minority.

 

The whole idea of a representative democracy in which parliament is sovereign is to try to prevent knee jerk decisions, ensure all are represented with differing views but to also make decisions THEY believe are best for the country.

 

As for Canada - wonder if they'll impeach the corrupt Trudeau or allow him to influence the justice system which must be politics free in any real democracy?

[Baerboxer]

17 minutes ago, Loiner said:

So this is supposed to be her bold new deal. It's not a deal with the EU, only a 'deal' with Liebour to try and garner enough of their votes to get her WAB through parliament. According to Corbyn's quote he and his MPs have seen through it and won't support her. According to some reports, fewer Tory MPs will support her than the last two times she pulled her trick. So her Surrender Treaty will be voted down a fourth time; no capitulated exit; no second referendum. 

By Monday's EU results announcement the Brexit Party will have decimated the others, again in democratic polls. They won't dare try to revoke Article 50. Unless the EU gives way with some concessions (also possible after eurosceptic decimation) they have nothing else to offer. Roll on our slow slide exit by default No Deal.  

 

She's tried every trick she can think up to try and get her blindingly obvious crap deal through despite record government defeats. She clearly thinks if she keeps polishing a turd it will magically become seen as something other than the turd it is. Stupid stubborn self centered woman!

 

Apart from the loonies, the MP's all know a no deal Brexit will be a disaster for the majority of citizens (not the vultures like R-Mogg, Boris, Farage etc who will cash in big time); they are also terrified of revoking Article 50 because of a potential public backlash. 

 

They are caught between the devil and deep blue seas with saving their own skins and careers their biggest worry.

 

Sadly, the UK is going to go through some very bad times now whatever happens.

[tebee]