Britse politiek #26 The end May be near

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This week has suddenly shortened the lifespan of Theresa May’s premiership – she will be deposed soon

Those who could be in the running to replace her – Jeremy Hunt, Amber Rudd or even Boris Johnson – would be better than Theresa May as prime minister right now

Andreas Whittam Smith
@indyvoices

Two weeks ago, I argued that Theresa May lacked the qualities of a good leader. Her liking for secrecy meant that she wasn’t always able to elicit the information she might want. She doesn’t take pressure well. She is indecisive.

Of this last failing, there was a good example yesterday when the Government admitted that a long-expected paper setting out its goals for trade in financial services after Brexit might never be published. This lack of clarity with regard to one of Britain’s most successful industries will have a cost. In the absence of guidance, financial institutions will accelerate their preparations for moving some of their operations to the continent.

Why is the Government falling short of its responsibilities in this way? Because, according to the Financial Times, ministers remain unable to agree a detailed position. Oh dear. And who should break this impasse? The Prime Minister, of course. That is an important aspect of the job. If she cannot do this, what is the point of her?

In relation to May’s standing, however, something important has happened in the past fortnight. For despite her well-known deficiencies, the Brexit wing of the Conservative Party had preferred her to any alternative they could contemplate. Now they are less sure of her Brexit credentials.
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After all, The Independent reported yesterday that the UK has already “agreed in principle” to a Norway-style Brexit transition period in which it accepts all EU rules with no power to shape them. A key member of the European Parliament’s Brexit team said British negotiators raised no objections to the plans, which would mean accepting free movement and customs union rules, and falling under the European Court’s jurisdiction.

It was thus significant that it was arch-Brexiteer Boris Johnson who broke cover yesterday. For he announced that he would tell colleagues in the cabinet meeting something that he knew the Prime Minister does not wish to hear – an extra £100m a week should be invested in the NHS in England. Johnson grasps that the most potent criticism of May in voters’ minds is not likely to be the character faults described above, nor her commitment to Brexit, but her failure to solve the NHS crisis.

In response, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said he had given the NHS an extra £6bn in November’s Budget. And with his wonderful dry wit, he reminded reporters that “Mr Johnson is the Foreign Secretary”. Yes, technically, that is so.

Meanwhile earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph gave top billing to an opinion piece by Juliet Samuel that carried the headline, “Mrs May’s Government is headless, clueless and has lost all direction”. And the Telegraph is supposed to be the Conservative Party’s newspaper! At the same time, the Tory warhorse Sir Nicholas Soames MP asked on Twitter: “Where is the bold and brave? So far it is dull, dull, dull.” And Nick Boles, the former skills minister, added his two-penny worth, telling May it was time “to raise your game”.

Well, she won’t raise her game because she cannot do so. She is as she is. As a result, it will not be long before the men in grey suits request an appointment. These are the prominent members of the 1922 Committee, which consists of all Conservative backbench MPs. They will tell her that she no longer enjoys the confidence of members and that a new leader will have to elected.

Then the Conservative Party would have to choose between, say, Boris Johnson, Amber Rudd and Jeremy Hunt. And there are others who might enter the contest – Philip Hammond and Sajid Javid. It’s not a bad field. Whoever were to win, the result would be better than what we have now.

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Op dinsdag 23 januari 2018 18:42 schreef Perrin het volgende:

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Ben benieuwd of er ook maar iets gaat veranderen aan de Brexit-koers ten gevolge van deze potentiële paleisrevolutie.