Despite hopes of a Brexit breakthrough, many believe the U.K.’s May is ‘finished’
London — Senior aides of British Prime Minister Theresa May privately believe she is “finished” and may be forced to set out a timetable for her departure if she is to win the meaningful vote on her Brexit deal.
The Daily Telegraph understands that two senior Downing Street figures believe the Prime Minister should “fall on her sword” and announce she will quit so she is able to “go with dignity”.
They believe she has permanently “lost the trust of Eurosceptics” and will have to make way for a new leader after the Conservative Party conference in October.
The Prime Minister is this weekend attempting to win over Eurosceptics and DUP MPs ahead of a third meaningful vote on her Brexit deal on Tuesday.
Four Cabinet ministers including Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, held several hours of talks with the DUP on Thursday in an attempt to win them over and give reassurances over the Irish backstop.
Government sources said that while extra funding for Northern Ireland was not discussed Thursday, it could be “put on the table” at a later date if they support her deal.
Despite increasing hopes of a breakthrough next week, both ministers and senior figures in Government believe the Prime Minister will have no choice but to go. The Downing Street aides made their concerns clear after the Prime Minister last week lost her second meaningful vote and MPs voted to take a no-deal Brexit off the table.
One of the aides said the “only way” she could win round Eurosceptics was by promising to quit by the end of the year. The other said: “She needs to go with dignity, if she sets a date for her departure she can be remembered as the woman who delivered Brexit.”
No. 10 last week insisted that the Prime Minister had not considered resigning in the wake of the defeats. Downing Street sources said that the Prime Minister is “totally focused” on securing her Brexit deal.