This article is more than
5 year oldIt has ostensibly been the prime minister's opening of the door on a second referendum that has really riled Tories across the board, from those previously loyal to May to the hardline Brexiteers.
Former London Mayoral candidate, Zac Goldsmith took to social media to unleash a scathing critique of May's deal with a second referendum as bait. He tweeted: “That it takes us towards a rigged referendum between her deal and no Brexit is just grotesque. The PM must go.”
I supported the PM’s rotten deal last time as I felt we could then draw a line and select a new PM to pick up the pieces.
— Zac Goldsmith (@ZacGoldsmith) May 21, 2019
But I cannot support this convoluted mess. That it takes us towards a rigged referendum between her deal and no Brexit is just grotesque.
The PM must go.
The Prime Minister’s latest proposals are worse than before and would leave us bound deeply in to the EU. It is time to leave on WTO terms.
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) May 21, 2019
With great reluctance I backed MV3. Now we are being asked to vote for a customs union and a second referendum. The Bill is directly against our manifesto - and I will not vote for it. We can and must do better - and deliver what the people voted for.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 21, 2019
The front pages of Wednesday's papers made for grim viewing for May. You know when things are bad when the consistently loyal Daily Mail turn against you with their ‘Theresa's Gamble Too Far’ headline. Fellow right-wing paper, The Daily Telegraph, went with the brutal: ‘Desperate, deluded, doomed.’
Wednesday’s Daily MAIL: “Theresa’s Gamble Too Far” #bbcpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/DU7CnMQCRp
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) May 21, 2019
Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Desperate, deluded, doomed” #bbcpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/wWwzhw0Kcm
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) May 21, 2019
Wednesday’s i - “Another fine mess” #bbcpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/v5a8l3QJ1C
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) May 21, 2019
Wednesday’s INDEPENDENT Digital: “May’s bold plan? It’s ‘worse than the old plan’ “ #bbcpapers #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/XxMB5muWk6
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) May 21, 2019
Labour has been equally scathing of May's fresh proposals, with leader Jeremy Corbyn contesting that they were “basically a rehash of what was discussed before.” He raised the issue of May's weak position as leader, calling into question the “deliverability” of her new deal, adding that his party would not be supporting the Bill.
Theresa May's new Brexit deal is a rehash of her old bad deal and Labour cannot support it. pic.twitter.com/C5W1jalDWU
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 21, 2019
It's increasingly apparent that the prime minister's position is becoming untenable. In a desperate last bid to please everyone, she has essentially pleased no-one. It was never going to be an easy task to unite a House of Commons with no overall majority for the government.
May has managed to push lawmakers further away and not closer to backing her deal. Her attempt at compromise has come at the end of the process, when it should have been instigated after the 2017 General election which produced a hung parliament.
The dark clouds appear to be circling above the besieged prime minister. The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg reports that “there is a new push to oust PM asap.” At Wednesday's meeting of the powerful Tory 1922 committee, there will be an attempt to change the rules to allow for another confidence vote in May, according to backbench MP Nigel Evans.
There is a new push to oust PM asap so she doesn’t have chance to put the bill forward being led by Nigel Evans - tory backbench cttee meeting today - one tells me ‘it’s Sunday’ - day when euro results come thro that it’s over
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) May 22, 2019
Nigel Evans: “We cannot put up with this any longer. I will be asking my colleagues on the 1922 executive tomorrow to agree to a rule change so we can hold an immediate confidence vote. It was the Cabinet’s duty to have acted this morning. They failed, so it’s up to us now”.
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) May 21, 2019
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