The night before the EU vote, Theresa May has issued a last-ditch plea with the public to support her Brexit deal that has cost her a big chunk of the cabinet due to concessions that many have called ‘betrayal’.
With the EU vote looming on the near horizon, Theresa May has released a statement desperately calling for the public to support her compromised Brexit deal. The dramatic letter attempts to ensure that the deal will honor the concerns of those who voted for Brexit, such as allowing the UK to control migration, make its own legislation and end “vast annual payments” to the EU. With limited support in government, May is hoping a direct appeal to the people will help put on the pressure in her favor, but her efforts seem to have backfired.
While May says that her proposal is in the UK’s “national interests”, and “works for the whole country” regardless of how one voted, even members of her own party are already drafting alternative plans believing that May’s will be shot down. Many of the alternative plans will seek to maintain a closer relationship to the EU.
Also pushing for a softer Brexit, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn called the deal “the worst of all worlds”, on Thursday, and a “testament to the failure of the (Conservatives') bungled negotiations.”
On the other side of the aisle, Conservatives like Bill Cash have critiqued the bill as it would still allow European judges to have a say in British law. The biggest critique from hard-Brexiters is that in the terms of the agreement, Britain will continue to be in a customs union with the EU for years, without an option to exit unilaterally.
Aside from the larger structural issues with the wishy-washy plan itself, there is a landmine field of related issues which threaten to derail the deal outright. One such issue was Spain’s demand that the deal’s wording regarding Gibraltar be clarified or Madrid will walk, an issue which May rectified by completely capitulating to Spain’s demands.
While MP’s from every side of the house of commons have stepped up to criticize the plan, May’s authority had already been deeply compromised after dozens of members of her cabinet quit in protest of the deal including her chief negotiator, Dominic Raab.
May is scheduled to meet with the 27 EU leaders in Brussels this weekend, where her plan will be approved or declined.
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