Thursday 11 April 2019

Theresa May could be facing her last Easter as prime minister

Theresa May loves going on walking holidays. If she is planning a week off in July or August to walk in Italy, I fear she will do so without the trappings of being prime minister. For months experts have been saying that May's last days were approaching and yet somehow she held off her rivals and kept going, obstinately refusing to consider handing over the Brexit chalice to someone else. But now that she has persuaded the EU to postpone Brexit for a second time - giving her another six months of what will probably prove to be fruitless discussions in cabinet, with the opposition, and in parliament - I just don't see how she can survive that long. She always promised two things: that the UK would leave the EU on March 29, whatever.... and that the UK would NOT take part in the next round of European parliamentary elections, which are due to take place on May 23. She failed with the March 29 deadline and now she has failed with the European elections issue. The UK is obliged by European law to take part in the EU parliamentary elections if we are stil part of the European family at the time of the elections. Which we will be unless there is a miracle. And no one any longer believes in a Brexit miracle. With the six months' grace permitted by the 27 EU governments, the high-ups in the Conservative pary will be thinking, "Right, now is the time for a new leader, a new momentum, a new way and a new future." I don't think Theresa May will bow out gracefully. Why should she? She has done all the hard work. But the way things are going, there is no hope in hell of May and Jeremy Corbyn forging a deal together and Theresa has upset so many in her party, let alone in the cabinet, that it's almost impossible to envisage her staying in Number 10 Downing Street for much longer. I fear the knives will be out and getting sharpened as I write. Watch your back, Theresa!

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