Table of Contents
TWO COUNTRIES DIFFERENT SIGHTS
THERESA MAY RESIGNS OVER BREXIT
- Her Brexit plans failed again and again to impress squabbling MPs in parliament, but she soldiered on regardless. Until now.
- In an emotional statement outside her office in Downing St, Mrs May finally announced she was stepping down as prime minister.
THERESA MAY
- In July 2016, after David Cameron resigned, May was elected as Conservative Party Leader, becoming Britain’s second female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher having been the first.
HOW CAN THERE BE A NEW PRIME MINISTER WITHOUT A NEW ELECTION?
- Under Britain’s parliamentary system, a party in power can change its leader in a variety of ways, and can choose its new leader by following its own party rules.
- Whoever is chosen as the new party leader will become the new prime minister, with the right to hold that position until the next general election, which is set for 2022
WHY DID SHE GO?
- Mrs May had been struggling to get parliamentary support for the legislation needed to implement the deal she had agreed with the EU on how the UK would leave the bloc.
- Her deal was rejected three times by Parliament. Efforts to find a compromise with the opposition Labour Party also failed.
- On Tuesday, Mrs May made another attempt to convince members of parliament (MPs) to support her EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill – by offering a vote on whether to hold a second referendum, if the bill was passed.
- The offer was designed to attract support from Labour MPs – but enraged many Brexit-supporting Conservatives.
- Members of her cabinet began openly opposing the bill, while party members called for her to resign.
- On Wednesday, one of her senior ministers, Andrea Leadsom, quit the cabinet, adding to the pressure.
- On 24 May, Mrs May officially announced her resignation as Conservative leader, saying: “It will always remain a matter of deep regret for me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit.”
- “It is now clear to me that it is in the best interest of the UK for a new PM to lead that effort,” she said.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BREXIT?
- A lot could depend on who succeeds Mrs May.
- If a strong Brexit supporter wins, they might be more likely to insist that the UK leave before the current 31 October deadline, or leave even if it cannot agree on a deal with the EU.
WHAT DOES NO DEAL BREXIT MEAN?
- A no deal Brexit means the UK would leave the European Union (EU) immediately on 29 March 2019, and there would be no agreements in place about what their relationship would be like in future.
- This is not what anybody in Parliament wants, but it’s a possible outcome if politicians can’t agree on what should happen next.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN A NO DEAL BREXIT?
- A no deal Brexit could lead to a number of things happening. For example:
- Border checks could be re-introduced
- Transport and trade between the UK and the EU could be severely affected
- Adults may not be able to drive in EU countries without a special driving permit
- It could cost more money to use your phone abroad in EU countries
HARD BORDER
- Because of Brexit, a physical border could be erected between Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.
- This raises concerns about the future of the Good Friday Agreement (or Belfast Agreement), a peace deal signed in 1998 which helped to end the Northern Ireland conflict
Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF
WhatsApp