• Reading Level 5
History | PSHE

Back me and then sack me, says last-ditch May

Rarely in British history has there been so much confusion over so many important issues with so little time to sort them out. Here is The Day’s early-morning guide to the key questions. 1 Has the prime minister just resigned? No. But she has promised that shen willn do as soon as stage one of Brexit is delivered. On the current timetable agreed with the EU this would be on May 22nd. But for that to happen, MPs will have to approve her withdrawal agreement by a deadline of April 12th, two weeks from tomorrow. If they do this, there will be an immediate Conservative Party leadership election and a new prime minister within a few weeks. If they do not, she will stay on and try to find another solution. 2 So will MPs back the withdrawal agreement? This now looks possible and it might even happen as soon as tomorrow. To say it looks possible is itself quite a bold guess. There are massive obstacles to be overcome. Obstacle #1 is that John Bercow, the speaker, who controls the business of the House of Commons, has ruled that Theresa May cannot hold this so-called "meaningful vote" unless her withdrawal agreement is significantly different from the last two times it was voted on and roundly defeated. Obstacle #2 is that the Irish Democratic Unionist PartyFounded by Ian Paisley, it overtook the more traditional Ulster Unionist Party in popularity in 2004. (DUP) announced yesterday that it would still vote against the agreement because it threatens the unity of the UK. The DUP is crucial because it represents its own ten votes plus a group of Tory MPs. The government this morning believes that both the Bercow problem and the DUP problem can be solved. 3 What about all the alternative ideas? One reason the withdrawal agreement is still an option is because, as one newspaper headline puts it this morning: "Parliament finally has its say: No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No." In other words, all the eight proposals suggested by MPs last night were rejected. The two most popular options were a second referendum to confirm any deal passed by parliament, which had 268 votes (with 295 votes against) and leaving the EU with a customs union, which had 264 votes (with 272 against). The two options will be debated again on Monday unless Theresa May's deal passes before then. 4 Who are the winners and losers? Theresa May looks dignified this morning. Most pundits agree that she has fallen on her sword for the greater good. Jeremy Corbyn looks battered. Labour's Brexit plan was rejected by a majority of 70 last night. Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson look humiliated. For months they refused on principle to back May's proposal. Yesterday they changed their minds because she offered to resign. Today they are widely ridiculed and accused of betrayal by their own side. The bigger picture? We are witnessing a defining struggle between government and parliament, between Whitehall and WestminsterAn area of London known for its government buildings and parliament. . Is our unwritten constitution "basically broken" as one peer puts it? With only six per cent of the electorate agreeing that MPs are doing a good job on Brexit, should we now consider parliament a "house of fools"? KeywordsDemocratic Unionist Party - Founded by Ian Paisley, it overtook the more traditional Ulster Unionist Party in popularity in 2004.

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