“It’s important for the special relationship to have a strong relationship at [a] political level”.
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Edward Heath was the first victim of this dire fate as he failed to return Conservatives to power in 1974, a year after the United Kingdom joined the European community on his watch. The formal negotiations are due to recommence next Monday.
What we shall be accepting is the whole European Union rule book, the Acquis Communautaire, meaning we shall not be free to make our own rules and, as a direct result, not be able to establish trade agreements with the US, Australia, China and others.
What would have been a far smarter move would have been to actively seek support from the millions of disenfranchised UKIP voters, given the implosion of the anti-EU party since the departure of Nigel Farage.
Will Theresa May’s name be added to this distinguished list?
Although those close to Prime Minister May have tried to lessen the humiliation for the government by dismissing questions about her future, Widdecombe believes she will survive – for now. “I think that getting along with Russian Federation, getting along with China, is a good thing”. May was appointed to succeed him without a vote by her Conservative Party’s activists.
Former foreign minister Boris Johnson, who wrote in his resignation letter that the Brexit “dream is dying” and that Britain was headed for the “status of colony” of the European Union under May´s leadership, is seen as a potential challenger. In 1958, the chancellor of the exchequer and two junior ministers resigned in protest at increased government spending.
His resignation comes just a month after he was heard launching a scathing attack on the government’s Brexit strategy in a leaked tape from a private dinner with Conservative activists.
Her plan for a “a business-friendly” Brexit prompted the resignations of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit minister David Davis, but sterling rebounded as investors bet she would not face an immediate challenge to her leadership. Theresa May’s song, unfortunately, stuck in his throat.
Is this the end to the cabinet resignations? (Indeed, any Conservative prime minister who lost their majority in an election called because of massively favourable opinion polls wouldn’t usually last a few days, never mind more than a year.) But these times are far from “normal” – and as it stands, it’s hard to see who in their right mind would want to take over from May right now considering the mess they would inherit. He wrote: “As an ex leader of a unitary council, area and constituency chairman if Theresa May remains then I will be leaving the Conservative Party”.
For now, hardline Brexiteers are regrouping; many supported Johnson’s resignation, calling it “principled” and honorable.
Other ministers described the meeting as “very good”.
May maintained the balance of pro-Brexit ministers and those who campaigned to remain in the European Union in her top team on Monday as she set about piecing together a new cabinet.
The latest chaos for May unfolded within 48 hours of what was supposed to be a breakthrough in uniting a fractious government behind her road map for Brexit.
Boris Johnson is a different matter.
Speaking in the House of Commons about the Chequers meeting, May said Cabinet had agreed to “consider seeking accession” to the 11-nation CPTPP trade deal.
After the pro-Brexit politician was the star of the successful Leave campaign, it was expected he would make a bid at becoming prime minister when a humiliated David Cameron stood down.
Asked about Boris Johnson’s resignation, Trump added: “Boris Johnson is a friend of mine”.
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Times columnist Rachel Sylvester said May´s authority “is utterly destroyed at the very moment she needs the credibility to assert herself in the negotiations with the EU”. “This is the right Brexit”, she said.
