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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Prime Minister Theresa May. Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Images

Theresa May is now asking Labour for ideas as bad news piles up for the British PM

Her party is trailing in the polls and party members are saying she is ‘dead in the water’.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Theresa May acknowledged the “reality” of her weakened position today by appealing to other parties to help implement Brexit, as she sought to relaunch her year-old premiership.

One month after losing her parliamentary majority in a snap election, the Conservative leader said she was still committed to “bold action” to fulfil her promises of change.

But as fresh rumours swirled of plans to oust her, May accepted that “the reality I now face as prime minister is rather different” than it was.

Her comments came in excerpts of a speech due to be delivered on tomorrow, the anniversary of her winning the Conservative Party leadership race after last year’s referendum vote to leave the EU.

“In this new context, it will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in parliament as well as in the country,” May will say.

So I say to the other parties in the House of Commons… come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.

May has been struggling to maintain her authority since the 8 June election, which she called three years early only to lose seats, leaving her with a minority government.

The first opinion released since last month’s election showed Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party holding an eight point lead over the Conservatives.

‘Dead in the water’

The Mail on Sunday reported that former Conservative chief whip Andrew Mitchell had told a private meeting of MPs that May was “dead in the water” and must quit.

Justice Secretary David Lidington said this and other rumours were the result of politicians enjoying “too much sun and too much warm Prosecco” at summer parties.

May’s de facto deputy Damian Green insisted Monday that her call for cross-party cooperation was a “grown-up way of doing politics”.

May had been accused of stifling dissent over her plans to take Britain out of Europe’s single market, end jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and leave the bloc without a deal in place.

But members of her cabinet have been increasingly outspoken since the election, particularly finance minister Philip Hammond, who favours a more conciliatory approach amid fears of the damage a clean break could do to business.

A new cross-party parliamentary group was launched on today calling for the “closest possible relationship” with the EU and demanding that “all options are kept on the table” in the negotiations, which began last month.

It is co-chaired by opposition Labour MP Chuka Umunna and Conservative former minister Anna Soubry, both outspoken pro-Europeans, and backed by the smaller Liberal Democrats.

© – AFP 2017

Read: Protesters on high alert amid reports Trump planning ‘sneak’ visit to UK in next two weeks >

Read: Gerry Adams asks UK to not restore direct rule from Westminster in North >

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    Mute jason bourne
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    Feb 12th 2017, 9:22 AM

    Wow.. fair play

    187
    Paul
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    Mute Paul
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    Feb 12th 2017, 9:26 AM

    What a brilliant out of the box idea – where they whole world is turning extreme right it’s refreshing to see the possibilities to be had while providing a service to African countries. We get bashed from pillar to post by politicians and inquiry after inquiry and sometimes lose track of what makes Irish people great.

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    Mute Mike
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    Feb 12th 2017, 9:43 AM

    @Paul: So a good news story about an African country gets dragged down by someone virtue signalling their hatred of all things right wing. IMO it’s a great story as it shows what people can do for themselves if given the help and resources to get started, One needs seed capital to participate in capitalism, these credit unions appear to be doing the right thing in getting economic activity going. Like many in the West they too wanted and have opted for change in government, here’s hoping the new guy can govern well and support these business people.

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    Mute Stiofán Mac Stáin
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    Feb 12th 2017, 10:05 AM

    @Paul: Capitalism at its best, private individuals and organisations taking matters into their own hands instead of waiting for the government to do something about it.

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    Mute Taylor
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    Feb 12th 2017, 9:54 AM

    Well said Paul! It’s nice to see something refreshing on the journal instead of negativity

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    Mute Debi Nikita
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    Feb 12th 2017, 11:08 AM

    Great news..

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    Mute Gerard Creedon
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    Feb 12th 2017, 12:13 PM

    Fair play !

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    Mute Ita Connolly
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    Feb 12th 2017, 9:59 PM

    My Dad worked with the Irish League of Credit Unions in the Gambia to help train local people and set up Credit Unions in 1998 and again in 2000. I’ve sent him this link. It’ll make his day.

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    Mute Gerry Fallon
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    Feb 12th 2017, 3:16 PM

    Rush credit union have a branch in Gambia,wow! Fair play to them.

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Feb 13th 2017, 7:58 AM

    Should the headline not read “Gambians use’Gambian’ credit union system to …. Etc”

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