UK PM Theresa May fights to save a Brexit deal that Donald Trump says is ‘great’ for EU
- Scores of legislators – from both the opposition and May’s governing Conservative Party – have vowed to oppose her Brexit deal
- Rejection would plunge Britain into a political crisis and potential financial turmoil
Securing the unanimous approval of 27 European heads of state for a Brexit deal was the easy part.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May turned to a far greater challenge: winning support from sceptical British lawmakers and their constituents.
A parliamentary vote on the deal is scheduled for December 11, with the hope that Britain can leave the European Union in a “smooth and orderly way” in March.
But the maths doesn’t appear to be on May’s side. She needs 318 votes for the deal to pass. By many estimates, she’s more than 60 votes short.
“The chances are currently around zero, to put it bluntly,” said Jonathan Tonge, a politics professor at the University of Liverpool.
He said passage would require the “biggest whipping operation you’ve ever seen in the Conservative Party”.
And even if the resistance within May’s own party melts away, she would need support from some opposition lawmakers.
The Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist party, which props up May’s minority government, is against the deal.