Theresa May tells MPs to show ‘strength and unity’

British PM Theresa May is trying to discipline her fractious Cabinet after last month’s election setback undermined her leadership. (AP)

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May has told Conservative Party politicians that they should stop “backbiting” or risk letting Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn win power, according to Sky News.
After May lost her majority in a June election that saw the Tory party’s 12-seat majority disappear, some senior ministers have resorted to public bickering over Brexit and state spending as they maneuver themselves to be ready for a potential early end to her leadership.
At a summer party for Conservative lawmakers, May took a firm stance, saying there should be “no backbiting, no carping,” Sky News reported.
“The choice is me or Jeremy Corbyn, and nobody wants him,” May added, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. “Go away, have a proper summer break and come back ready for serious business.”
According to her spokesman, May told her Cabinet at its regular Tuesday meeting, “There’s a need to show strength and unity as a country and that starts around the Cabinet table.”
The prime minister should be safe in her job over the summer, if not for at least 18 months, said Tim Knox, director of the British policy think tank, the Center for Policy Studies (CPS).
“Theresa May is much weakened by the events of the last few weeks, and the public briefing of the Cabinet was a symptom of that,” Knox told Arab News.
“Having said that, because there’s no obvious other contender, then it seems strangely to be in everyone’s interest to make sure that she continues in her post.”
Potential threats to May’s leadership include top Cabinet members Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis.
Knox said however the favorite candidate traditionally has not turned out to be the winner in previous leadership contests.
“I’d say it’ll go to someone currently considered as a rank outsider. The most obvious names all have their own flaws which would make it difficult to see how they could succeed.”
Other threats to May staying as leader of the party is the Conservative Party Conference, taking place in October, which could see “mutterings” of discontent.
“She’s obviously been under a lot of pressure in the last few weeks. She suffers from quite serious diabetes. How long she’d want to continue that extraordinarily pressured existence is a bit unknown. Should she herself decide that she doesn’t want to continue that itself would be a good excuse that people would be broadly sympathetic to,” added Knox.
For now, May has issued her warnings, and the summer recess of Parliament starting on July 21 will give her at least some breathing space.
“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an early election, particularly if there’s a new Tory leader. I think they’d seek a mandate from the country,” said Knox, when asked if Corbyn stood a chance of taking office.
— With AP/Reuters