THERESA MAY’S SPEECH yesterday has caused quite a stir, to say the least.
In an abruptly-called televised talk, May had another chance at responding to criticism of her Chequers plan and the general backlash to the demands the UK has been making.
Her speech in Salzburg, given immediately after European Council President Donald Tusk said that the UK proposals “will not work”, was criticised as weak. The Tory party conference is next week, putting pressure on her to deliver a strong performance.
The UK Prime Minister took the opportunity yesterday to say that the EU has been treated with respect, and that “the UK expects the same” in return. She said that she would not “overturn the result of the referendum, or break up my country”, suggesting that a compromise to finalise a Brexit deal wouldn’t be easy.
The speech, the latest in an escalating war-of-words, was received with caution by EU leaders, who rushed to say that a compromise was still possible.
Back in the UK, the tone was more jubilant – not least of all in the UK papers. The Daily Express ran this opinion column on its front page.
The Daily Mail summed the whole situation up on its front page (bias warning: in case you didn’t already know, they’re quite anti-EU).
“Defiant” is basically as close to a compliment as you’re going to get from The Times.
The Sun‘s headline didn’t disappoint.
The ‘i’ newspaper played on “the lady’s not for turning phrase, used by former PM Margaret Thatcher at a Conservative party conference in 1980. Not the first time May has been compared to Thatcher, and not the last either.
The Daily Telegraph‘s front page is the least dramatic of the lot.
The Guardian‘s front page is also quite subdued, but carries what is probably the sharpest criticism from May’s speech.
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