British PM ‘irritated’ by leadership speculation
Team Udayavani, Sep 16, 2018, 12:49 PM IST
London: British Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday she was “irritated” by speculation about a leadership contest as she slammed former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, seen as her most likely challenger.
The centre-right Conservative Party’s leader said she was focused on securing a Brexit deal rather than her own future, in a BBC television interview marking the six-month countdown to Britain’s departure from the European Union.
May blasted Johnson for using “completely inappropriate” language when he described her Brexit blueprint as putting Britain in a “suicide vest”.
Asked about her plans to stay in the job, she said: “I get a little bit irritated but this debate is not about my future — this debate is about the future of the people of the UK and the future of the United Kingdom.
“That’s what I’m focused on and that’s what we should all be focused on.” The leader added it was important to ensure “we get that good deal from the European Union which is good for people in the UK, wherever they live in the UK”.
Johnson, who quit the Cabinet over May’s proposals to keep Britain close to the EU on trade, is the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed May, ahead of interior minister Sajid Javid, eurosceptic backbench leader Jacob Rees-Mogg, environment minister Michael Gove and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
May’s Conservative minority government contains a sizeable bloc of hardcore Brexiteers headed by Rees-Mogg and would likely need the support of the left-wing main opposition Labour Party, or a chunk of their MPs, to get her Brexit proposals through parliament.
Keir Starmer, Labour’s Brexit spokesman, said any EU deal must meet Labour’s key Brexit tests, which include delivering the “exact same benefits” as Britain currently has inside the single market and customs union, to win their support.
In a letter published by The Sunday Times, he said they also could not back a loosely worded agreement: “A vague political declaration would not meet those tests. Labour will not — and cannot — vote for a blind Brexit.”
Meanwhile London Mayor Sadiq Khan added his weight to calls for a second Brexit referendum on the outcome of Britain’s EU departure negotiations. Writing in The Observer newspaper, he said Britain faces either a bad Brexit deal or no deal.
“They are both incredibly risky and I don’t believe Theresa May has the mandate to gamble so flagrantly with the British economy and people’s livelihoods,” he wrote. The Labour politician said voters need to be given a new referendum.
“This means a public vote on any Brexit deal obtained by the government, or a vote on a no-deal Brexit if one is not secured, alongside the option of staying in the EU,” he wrote.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
COP29: UN climate chief calls for urgent climate action to counter economic fallout, inflation
35 killed, 43 injured as driver hits crowd in Chinese city
UN climate summit runs into agenda fight on first day
‘Pure fiction’: Kremlin denies western media reports of phone call between Trump and Putin
China to display new fighter jet drone ship at its airshow
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
FSSAI directs online platforms to deliver food items with minimum 45 day shelf life
Maharashtra Elections | PM Modi has eliminated terrorism, Naxalism; Article 370 not coming back: Amit Shah
Ayodhya: Security beefed up around Ram Temple after ‘threat’ by pro-Khalistan leader Pannun
India successfully test-fires long-range cruise missile
Blind T20 WC: Indian team eyes clearance from MHA, MEA; Sports Ministry clears travel to Pakistan
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.