Mrs May is consulting the party and the wider electorate about her Withdrawal Agreement. I have been taking soundings for some time, ever since the Chequers climb downs exploded into the media. On Friday I had the opportunity to sound out 100 Conservatives at a party lunch, on top of the many conversations, emails and comments I have received in recent weeks.
The opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement is very strong, and there is overwhelming support for the stance I am taking in proposing to vote against the Agreement. Very few party members believe this is the best we could do, and a majority of enthusiastic leavers think leaving without an Agreement will be considerably better. The minority in the local party that regret the decision of the referendum are also against this Withdrawal Agreement, but want a return to negotiations or a delay in the Article 50 process following the vote against the Agreement.
Opinion on Mrs May herself has been more mixed, but recently the majority has moved against her continuing in office. There is a general feeling that she should not continue if the Agreement is voted down, a mood I have voiced in interviews. I would assume she would want to resign if her Agreement is defeated by a substantial margin. Were she not to I expect more MPs would send in letters requiring a vote on her continued leadership. I have urged her not to proceed with the Agreement in the interest of the nation, the party and her own future. I did not vote for Mrs May to be the Leader of the Conservative party and do not support the course she is taking.
December 2, 2018
Thank you John on the money as ever
December 2, 2018
To most people, losing such a vote would see the incumbent resign as a matter of honour. Mrs. May has no sense of honour. She has been duplicitous all along beginning with her Lancaster House speech – designed to win her votes, but something she clearly had no intention of abiding by.
We need to replace Theresa May with a solid Brexiteer (and I’m not talking flaky compromising individuals like Fox or Gove).
Those who voted for May as leader should hang their heads in shame and concede their remainer choices only ever lead to division.
There is only great political and financial advantage in walking away from the EU entirely, but being attached to it will only ever do this nation lasting harm. It will cease to be a democratic entity in its own right.
We voted to get our country back, and now we demand this government delivers on its promise.
Tad Davison
December 2, 2018
I agree. Let Britain go it alone again. We cannot be ruled by Europeans.
December 2, 2018
Well said, Tad D. We are in an extremely serious position as a result of May’s duplicity and, in my view, treachery, and she should go. A committed Brexiteer should be appointed leader forthwith with the prime aims of effecting Brexit, and restoring the Party to one based on true Conservative principles.
December 2, 2018
Thank you, I agree with all your points.
I had hoped that a friendly and fair relationship might have been established but the current government has not sought one nor has the EU offered one. Now we must have a government that resolutely pursues our interests.
December 2, 2018
Mrs. May gives the appearance of strength when defending her position within Parliament, but weakness when negotiating with the EU, who rightly never believed that she would prefer No Deal to a bad deal. After the Salzburg humiliation, it looked as though she had found her backbone at last, but sadly we have been betrayed again.
December 2, 2018
She certainly did not give the appearance of strength when she was rigorously questioned by Bernard Jenkin in Committee very recently. She appeared evasive and unconvincing, being able only utter slogans and to make feeble attempts to avoid answering key questions directly. The overall impression was one of a scheming individual who had been caught out telling untruths. A disgrace for a Prime Minister.
December 2, 2018
Apparently the brains behind the EU negotiations with the UK is not Barnier but his assistant a Ms Sabine Weyand – who?Well I had never heard of her till about 15 minutes ago. Am I tight in thinking her name has never been mentioned in any of JR’s blogs? Also I have never heard her name on any BBC output! Am I the only one in this position? Googling her name I see that the Guardian had a piece about her. A piece about her said:-
Deputy Chief negotiator at the European Commission Sabine Weyand has warned that the European Union will still have control over the customs union after the UK leaves on March 30, 2019. She has said on the proposed Brexit “deal”: “This requires the customs union as the basis of the future relationship…They must align their rules but EU will retain all the controls. They apply the same rules. UK wants a lot more from future relationship, so EU retains its leverage” Ms Weyand added Britain “would have to swallow a link between access to products and fisheries in future agreements”.
December 3, 2018
Afraid Mrs May has been living in the Westminster and Civil service bubble for far too long, a bit late now to seek some outside advice.
The referendum result was the biggest indication she could have possibly had of the Countries feelings.
She has a closed mind, gained through having closed ears.
She has proven completely unworthy of the task and must go.
Those are the kindest words I can muster.
December 3, 2018
If the agreement is voted down, and we move towards a no-deal Brexit, then I think a number of very interesting things will happen. In all of this, the EU negotiators have basically either wilfully misunderstood their jobs, or have purposefully done a bad job.
Their task was to negotiate a deal between Britain and the EU to which the UK Parliament could agree. Not to demand an agreement so hideously biased towards themselves that it could not be agreed upon, and not to roll over to all of the UK’s demands, but to meet everyone halfway.
They have likely failed, and now we get to see which is more mighty: German special interests or EU special interests.