British Prime Minister Theresa May claims cabinet backs draft Brexit deal – but tales of division emerge from marathon meeting
- May – who said the choices amounted to her deal, no deal, or no Brexit – must now face the ordeal of getting the UK parliament to back the agreement
- Sky News says 10 ministers opposed the deal, but it was not immediately clear whether any had resigned
British Prime Minister Theresa May emerged from a marathon cabinet meeting to claim she had won the backing of her senior ministers for a draft European Union divorce deal on Wednesday, freeing her to tackle the much more perilous struggle of getting parliament to approve the agreement.
But reports were emerging of a deeply divided cabinet, with Sky News saying that nearly 10 cabinet ministers opposed the plan. And May herself described the options with what sounded like an ultimatum: this deal, no deal, or no Brexit.
Nevertheless, more than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU in a referendum, May told reporters outside her Downing Street residence that she had won over her divided cabinet, which includes some senior Brexiteers.
“The collective decision of cabinet was that the government should agree the draft withdrawal agreement and the outline political declaration,” May said after a five-hour cabinet meeting.
“I firmly believe that the draft withdrawal agreement is the best that could be negotiated,” May said as protesters shouted anti-Brexit slogans from the end of the street.