Theresa May’s withdrawal bill delayed

Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal bill will not be published or debated until early June, the government says. At the same time Theresa May is fighting her final battle, having a meeting with Sir. Graham Brady tomorrow about the date for her resignation.

The prime minister is under pressure to resign following a backlash from her own MPs against her pledged “new deal” on Brexit.

Andrea Leadsom quit as Commons Leader, saying she could not announce the bill which had “new elements that I fundamentally oppose”.

She has been replaced by Treasury minister Mel Stride.

Downing Street has confirmed that the prime minister met Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary Sajid Javid at No 10 on Friday morning and would “give full consideration their views” about the bill.

Mrs May had told the Commons that the Withdrawal Agreement Bill – the legislation needed to implement the agreement between the UK and EU – would be published on Friday so MPs would have “the maximum possible time to study its detail”.

Yesterday, members of the Conservatives’ backbench 1922 Committee held a secret ballot on whether to change party rules, to allow the prime minister to face a vote of no confidence immediately.

Mrs. May is due to meet the chairman of the committee, Sir Graham Brady, tomorrow.

The results, in sealed envelopes, will be opened if Mrs May does not agree to stand down by 10 June.

Mrs May survived a no-confidence vote of Conservative MPs in December. Under existing rules, she cannot be challenged again until December this year.

Source: BBC News