THE UK SUNDAY papers are predicting trouble for Theresa May this week.
Days after a crucial October summit that ended without progress on the Irish backstop, the UK prime minister is coming under pressure from her Cabinet to deliver on the Brexit promised to those who voted for it.
There’s some uncertainty over what happens next in Brexit talks: the EU says it won’t progress without a backstop, but both sides are entrenched in their views without room for compromise.
As it stands now, it looks as though we’re heading for a no-deal Brexit.
The Telegraph reports today that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab doesn’t want an extension to the Brexit transition period unless the backstop is scrapped.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier had originally offered the transition extension in exchange for agreement on the Irish backstop.
Meanwhile, The Sunday Times reports that Theresa May has been given “72 hours to save her job”.
“… numerous Tory MPs said May was on course to face a vote of no confidence this week as all wings of the party united against her”, it reports.
An ally of David Davis, the former Brexit secretary who is tipped as an interim leader, said May was entering ‘the killing zone’.
The Daily Mail reports that former Brexit secretary David Davis has prepared a manifesto for the party for his interim leadership and that other Tory MPs have demanded May face a “high stakes show trial”.
The Prime Minister has been urged to confront disgruntled backbenchers at a crisis meeting – but was given the chilling warning that she should ‘bring her own noose’ to the showdown as rivals step up their campaigns to succeed her in No 10.
Among those in line to become the next Tory leader are Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees Mogg, and Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
As it stands now, Brexit talks are set to collapse over the lack of agreement on the Irish backstop.
At a speech at the Wolfe Tone Commemoration at Bodenstown, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said about Brexit: “The risk of a chaotic Brexit next March is still low because it would serve no one’s interests.”
From my discussions in Brussels last week I believe that there is a determination for there to be a deal by the end of the year.
Ahead of talks to extend the Confidence and Supply agreement, Martin said that his party wouldn’t collapse the government and call an election.
We have guaranteed stability in the coming months because of the critical phase of the Brexit negotiations, so unless the Taoiseach decides otherwise there is no danger of Ireland being caught without a functioning parliament and stable government due to an election campaign and lengthy government formation period.
“Our focus is on delivering stability until the risk of a no deal Brexit or a major last-minute change is overcome.”
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