‘Brexit continues to mean Brexit’: May presses on with her plan

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday her government had begun negotiations with the European Union based on her hard-won Brexit plan, pressing on with a proposal criticized by both wings of her Conservative Party.

After narrowly escaping defeat in parliament over her plans for leaving the EU, May signaled she would not drop a proposal on Britain’s future relationship with bloc – the biggest shift in its foreign and trade policy for almost half a century.

But by sticking to her plan for a “business-friendly” departure, May has thrown down the gauntlet to Brexit supporters and pro-EU lawmakers in her party who are at war with each other, and – for some – with the prime minister herself.

Boris Johnson, her former foreign minister who quit over what is called the Chequers plan, was one of the first to renew his call for government to rethink its strategy, saying “it is not too late to save Brexit”.

But at an earlier session of parliament, May stood firm after being challenged by one pro-Brexit lawmaker in her party to explain when she had decided to change her catchphrase from “Brexit means Brexit”, to “Brexit means Remain”.

“Brexit continues to mean Brexit,” May said to cheers from her Conservative supporters.

May also said talks had already started with Brussels based on the proposal set down in a white paper policy document last week after her divided government had thrashed out a deal at her Chequers country residence.

The prime minister insisted she was confident Britain had enough time to negotiate a deal with the EU before leaving in March 2019.

While May’s party is in disarray over the plan, EU member Ireland also said it was focusing on the white paper, unwilling to be diverted over the changes to her Brexit plans forced through in parliament this week.

“If we get distracted by individual amendments to individual pieces of legislation … then I think we get dragged into an unnecessary debate that wastes a lot of time and energy,” Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told state broadcaster RTE.

May’s vulnerability in parliament, where she lost her majority in an ill-judged election last year, was laid bare on Monday and Tuesday when she faced rebellions from both the pro-Brexit and pro-EU wings of her party.

She won the votes on a customs and a trade bill, but suffered an unexpected defeat on a separate amendment, which means her government must now seek continued participation in the European medicines regulatory framework.

But the government’s approach to securing victory in parliament has not only deepened divisions in her party, but also raised the issue of trust.

One Conservative lawmaker told Reuters the party whips, whose job it is to enforce discipline in parliament, had threatened to call a confidence vote in May if she lost – a move that could bring down the government.

Johnson, figurehead of the Brexit campaign in the 2016 referendum, led those calls in his resignation speech to parliament.

He criticized the government for handing an advantage to the EU by agreeing in the talks to a divorce bill before agreeing a future relationship.