The EU knows it, so do our own MPs - Theresa May is finished

[Celerity]

European leaders have known for some time that the prime minister wasn’t up to the Brexit job. This week she’s proved it

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/22/eu-mps-theresa-may-finished-brexit


The EU has no time for Theresa May, which doesn’t mean there is no flexibility in the Brexit timetable. Continental leaders have granted an article 50 extension, but not the one requested by the prime minister. She had pitched for a new departure date of 30 June. She was given eight days less, until 22 May. And that date only stands if parliament ratifies the deal.

If May flunks another meaningful vote, the extension gets shorter – 12 April is the new cliff-edge that comes into view. That date marks the point at which Britain would have to start organising European parliament elections, should it want another even longer extension. A national change of heart on the whole Brexit business would still be welcome in Brussels but it is not expected, and the priority is to escort a troublesome ex-member off the premises with a minimum of disruption before those MEP ballots get under way.

Does May like this plan? It doesn’t matter. She wasn’t in the room where it happened. The summit conclusions were handed down to the petitioning nation as it paced around an antechamber. This is the power relationship between a “third country” and the EU. Britain had better get used to it.

The terms of the extension are not drafted for the prime minister’s benefit. They contain a message from the EU direct to the House of Commons. In crude terms: piss or get off the pot. If you want to leave with a deal, vote for the damned deal. If you are foolish enough to leave without a deal, do not blame us. Have a couple more weeks to think about it. But if you want something else, a referendum or a softer Brexit, work it out soon. And then send someone who isn’t May to talk to us about it.

snip

[malaise]

1. I've been saying this for ages

She is finished.

[OnDoutside]

2. She was finished after calling a General Election that she didn't need to call, and then losing her

majority. That was the time she should have gone, but no one wanted the poison chalice, so she stayed. And then when the ERG tried to get her out, they lost, meaning she can't be challenged within the Conservative Party until next December. She will not go by choice, or sense of honour. The ONLY way she'll go is if Labour's threatened Vote of Confidence wins in Parliament, precipitating a GE, and even that is in doubt because the DUP will continue to support her, while the Tories are terrified of another General Election.

[malaise]

4. Yep

How fitting - she was the first one to recognize the vile MAGAcretin. Good riddance.

[OnDoutside]

5. Definitely. I have no pity for her, but then she'll sail off into the sunset with her nice pension,

and close protection detail, so who'll be laughing then ?

[Blue_Tires]

7. In her (slight) defense, nobody could have managed the Brexit

It was a joke piece of grandstanding anti-immigrant legislation with a dozen bad faith promises that even the original crafters of the original campaign never thought would actually be approved...

May had no mandate, no basic roadmap to follow, and since the entire "Have our cake and eat it" Brexit plan was predicated on "The EU rules won't apply to us -- We'll be able to dictate our own exit terms to Bruxelles and they won't have the power or political will to stop us!" These morons were doomed from the start.

[malaise]

8. The Conservative party is as racist as the ReTHUGs

Never forget that May is so ignorant about the Windrush history that she created a total mess before she became PM.

Her approach to the Windrush generation is completely anti-immigrant.

[Blue_Tires]

9. Of course... And Brexit itself was motivated by the false belief that

all the nonwhite immigrants would be forced to get out...

[malaise]

10. Precisely

pushed by Farage, Johnson, May et al

[3Hotdogs]

3. She could call a referendum on whether to call a referendum.

Then she can say she is allowing democracy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. The problem is that she has control over when she goes this year, unless Tories want to retire

themselves. The Tories had a go at deposing her internally late last year, and failed. Party rules say they can try again until the end of 2019. The DUP are pushing for a hard Brexit against the wishes of the Northern Irish electorate, and are still too stupid/dishonest/stubborn to get the Northern Irish Assembly working, so they're not keen on forcing an election. So it'd need some defecting Tory MPs to vote against the Tory government to have a Vote of No Confidence succeed. I don't think there's any Tory electorate that'd forgive them that in the ensuing election, no matter what the reasoning they gave. So it's only those willing to stop being MPs who could force her out.

So it's up to her to realise her own inadequacy. But if she were to resign, who would the Tories select instead? They tend to favour the bombthrowers like Boris Johnson.