UK Prime Minister Theresa May is aiming to get all cabinet ministers to back her Brexit strategy at a crunch meeting on Friday, but, should she fail to win over everyone’s support, she does have other options at her disposal.
PM May is willing to reshuffle her cabinet to ensure all ministers support her proposals on Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU, and resignations are a real possibility at today’s crunch meeting at her Chequers residence, City A.M. reported.
Politicians have already expressed staunch opposition to a number of the prime minister’s proposals for a customs partnership with the EU and related matters, but, despite rumors circulating of a potential rebellion by senior ministers, including Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, it’s unclear if they’ll actually launch such a move over her latest proposal.
If ministers resign in defiance of PM May’s plans at the Chequers meeting, they won’t be permitted to travel back to London in their ministerial vehicles, The Times reported, citing a government source.
“Taxi cards for Aston’s taxis, the local cab firm, are in the foyer for those who decide they can’t face making the right decision for the country. It is a cold world outside government. One or two empty cars returning might be a sensible amount of blood-letting,” the source said.
The source also warned that ministers who opposed the PM’s Brexit strategy would be swiftly replaced by more amenable MPs.
“Collective responsibility will be asserted at the end of the day. A select number of ego-driven, leadership-dominated cabinet ministers need to support the PM in the best interests of the UK — or their spots will be taken by a talented new generation of MPs who will sweep them away.”
With Brexit looming, PM May is keen to push on with negotiations to settle a number of areas of disagreement between Brussels and her government.
Although negotiations have been going on for a while, after the UK voted to withdraw from the bloc in mid-2016 via a referendum, some politicians and campaigners are still calling for another referendum to be held, to give voters a final chance to decide.
However, there has been no indication that such a referendum will take place or is even being considered.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
