UK’s political scene in chaos just days before start of difficult Brexit talks

Theresa May called the election to try to strengthen her hand in Brexit talks, but her party lost its majority in parliament. Now, days before the talks begin, some Conservatives want her to step down and a failed deal with the DUP could lead to a new UK election.

Losing the majority, Theresa May faces criticism from inside her party, but will most likely stay as PM. Several British newspapers have reported that some prominent Conservatives, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit minister David Davis, were being urged by supporters to challenge May for the party leadership after her election gamble backfired.

A pro-EU member of May’s Conservative Party said on Sunday that May does not have a majority in parliament for taking Britain out of the European single market.

“I don’t think she does have a majority in the House of Commons for leaving the single market,” Anna Soubry, who campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU ahead of last year’s referendum, told Sky News.

Her comment contradicted what Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said earlier on the same subject, underlining divisions and confusion within the Conservative Party after it lost its parliamentary majority in Thursday’s election.

“She will have to go”

Asked whether May could carry on as prime minister, Soubry said May’s position was untenable in the long term.

“I just can’t see how she can continue in any long-term way. I think she will have to go unfortunately. But not for some time, let’s get this clear. We need stability,” she said.

The British government’s views on upcoming Brexit negotiations have not changed following Prime Minister Theresa May’s failure to win an outright majority at a national election, Defence Minister Michael Fallon said on Sunday.

“Our view of Brexit I don’t think has changed, we want a partnership with Europe, we want an agreement that maximizes our access to the single market, comes to an arrangement on immigration, continues the security cooperation we already have with Europe,” he told BBC television.

Fallon also said he believed there was a majority in parliament for this Brexit plan.

“Everybody wants to see an agreement in the end that does respect what the British people voted for last year.”

Transport minister Chris Grayling also said on Sunday that May May should stay on as leader in order to avoid further instability despite her Conservative Party losing its majority.

“We have to take this country through one of the most difficult processes it has been through for generations. The last thing we need is further political upheaval so I am very clearly of the view that Theresa May has to stay on, she has to take us into that process, take us through that process,” Grayling, a Brexit campaigner and ally of May, told ITV.

“It would be absolutely the wrong thing to do now to react to a disappointing general election result, to create more political instability just at a time when we need stability for those negotiations.”

Conservatives need the DUP, Northen Ireland needs positive Brexit result

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said Ireland was keen for Brexit talks to start and to ensure the process of Britain leaving the European Union did not have an adverse impact on Northern Ireland’s fragile peace process.

Flanagan was speaking as the British political situation was in turmoil following an election on Thursday that produced no clear winner. Unable to govern alone, Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May was seeking to form a minority government with support from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party.

“I do believe it’s important we have certainty,” Flanagan told ITV.

“Our priorities are to ensure that there is as close as possible a deal between the UK and the EU, having regard to the very severe consequences and severe adverse consequences of the UK leaving the European Union on us here in Ireland,” he said.

“We will be anxious to ensure that whatever the result of these negotiations is doesn’t in any way adversely impact on our unique circumstances here in Ireland, with particular reference to our peace process.”

Asked whether a delay in the start of the Brexit talks, scheduled for June 19, was possible, Flanagan said: “I’m conscious of the fact that this clock is ticking.

“We’re a year now since the referendum. We lost some time over the last seven weeks during the general election campaign. Europe is ready to start these negotiations.”

Asked whether the prospect of a Conservative government in Britain reliant on support from the DUP was in itself a threat to Northern Ireland’s peace process, Flanagan said:

“Not necessarily the case. It remains to be seen what the nature of that deal is.”

He said he had raised the issue with Britain’s minister for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, and would meet him again on Monday.

The leader of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said on Sunday talks were ongoing with British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party with a view to supporting their minority government.

The Conservatives lost their House of Commons majority in Thursday’s election and will not be able to govern without support from the DUP’s 10 members of parliament.

“We had very good discussions yesterday with the Conservative Party in relation to how we could support them in forming a national government, one that would bring stability to the nation and those discussions continue. We have made good progress but the discussions continue,” DUP leader Arlene Foster told Sky News.

The TV channel said Foster had told them she would be travelling to London to meet May at her official Downing Street residence on Tuesday.

Corbyn talks new election, senior Conservative adds on it

Britain’s opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Sunday there could be another election this year or early in 2018 after the vote on Thursday produced no clear winner.

Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May is trying to reach an agreement with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party to form a minority government.

“It is quite possible there will be an election later this year or early next year and that might be a good thing because we cannot go on with a period of great instability,” Corbyn told the BBC.

“We have a programme, we have support and we are ready to fight another election campaign as soon as may be.”

A fresh election is the only alternative available to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives other than agreeing a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party to remain in government, a senior Conservative lawmaker said on Sunday.

Graham Brady, who chairs the influential 1922 committee of Conservative lawmakers, said there was no public appetite for a second election after May’s party failed to win a majority in Thursday’s vote.

The opposition Labour Party, which did not secure anywhere near enough seats to form a government even with the support of smaller parties, has said it could still seize power.

“There are only two choices. One is for us to get on, in what I think is the responsible way, and try to form a government and try to offer the right kind of responsible leadership that the country needs. The other would be to go back to the country for another general election,” Brady told BBC Radio 4.

“I don’t detect any desire amongst the British public to go through the whole process of a general election again.”

Meanwhile…Angela Merkel is waiting

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she assumed Britain would stick to its plan for leaving the European Union after the country’s election upset, and that she wanted to work quickly on talks over Brexit.

Speaking during a visit to Mexico City, Merkel said Germany was ready for the Brexit talks, which May said would begin on June 19 as scheduled – although she now risks more opposition to her EU departure plans from inside and outside her party.

“I assume that Britain, from what I heard from the Prime Minister today, wants to stick to its negotiating plan,” Merkel told a news conference alongside President Enrique Pena Nieto.

EU leaders expressed concern that May’s loss of her majority would raise the risk of negotiations failing, resulting in a legal limbo for people and business.

Merkel said Britain was part of Europe regardless of Brexit, and that she wanted the country to remain a good partner.

“Britain is a member of NATO, so we have a lot of shared challenges to deal with, and that’s the spirit we want to carry out these negotiations in. But obviously while also asserting the interests of the 27 member states that will make up the European Union in future,” she added.