…from Politico ….
British politics is broken. It may not be fixable in time to solve the Brexit mess.
The U.K. wakes up Wednesday with a government unable to govern — in office, but without the numbers to fulfill its central purpose: a negotiated exit from the European Union.
Faced with disaster, Theresa May has a plan but no strategy — the Churchillian maxim, “Keep Buggering On.”
“KBO prime minister, KBO,” one loyal government minister urged her Tuesday in the House of Commons in the run up to the vote she knew she was going to lose. May smiled and nodded in agreement. Right now, it is all she’s got.
May’s aides are clear: She is not giving up on her deal, despite the scale of the defeat. And she’s not quitting.
The game is now an even more intense fight for survival from one day to the next in the hope that something — anything — changes, but with little hope that it will.
Britain is now entering a period of rolling, daily crises with no obvious way out, its political class unable — or unwilling — to reach a compromise way to leave the European Union. Remainers and Brexiteers alike are convinced that voting against the prime minister’s Withdrawal Agreement takes them closer to their own desired outcome.
One side is making a miscalculation of historic proportions….
New York Times: “The 432-to-202 vote to reject her plan was one of the biggest defeats in the House of Commons for a prime minister in recent British history, and it underscores how under Ms. May, the prime minister’s office has lost ground in shaping important policy. Now factions in Parliament will seek to seize the initiative, an unpredictable new stage in the process of withdrawing from Europe, known as Brexit.”
BBC: “Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has now tabled a vote of no confidence in the government, which could trigger a general election.”
Breakdown of Brexit-deal vote:
202 Ayes = 196 Conservative + 3 Labour + 3 Independent
432 Nays = 118 Cons + 248 Lab + 11 Lib Dem + 35 Scot. Nat. + 10 Dem Unionist (N. Ire.) + 4 Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nat.) + 1 Green + 5 Ind.
Conservative: 196 – 118
Labour: 3 – 248
Independents 3 – 5
Liberal Dem 0 – 11
Scottish National Party 0 – 35
Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nat.) 0 – 4
Dem. Unionist Party (N. Ire.) 0 – 10
Green Party of England & Wales: 0 – 1
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46885027
What do u think happens?
Two hours of the no-c0nfidence debate on YouTube:
May’s government survives no confidence vote
BBC News, 8 minutes ago
Theresa May has seen off a bid to remove her government, winning a no-confidence vote by 325 to 306.
Rebel Tory MPs and the DUP – who 24 hours ago voted down the PM’s Brexit plan by a record margin – voted to keep her in Downing Street.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that Mrs May’s “zombie” administration had lost the right to govern during a six hour debate on his motion.
His party has not ruled out tabling further no-confidence motions.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46899466
…. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that Mrs May’s “zombie” administration had lost the right to govern.
Mrs May said she would start talks with other party leaders to find a Brexit compromise that MPs will back.
Giving her reaction to the result, Mrs May told MPs she would “continue to work to deliver on the solemn promise to the people of this country to deliver on the result of the referendum and leave the European Union”.
She invited leaders of all parties to have individual meetings with her on the way ahead for Brexit – starting tonight – but called on them to approach them with a “constructive spirit”.
“We must find solutions that are negotiable and command sufficient support in this House,” she added.
But Mr Corbyn, who tabled the no confidence motion, said that before any “positive discussions” could take place, the prime minister should rule out a no deal Brexit.
“The government must remove clearly, once and for all, the prospect of the catastrophe of a no deal exit from the EU and all the chaos that would come as a result of that,” he told MPs.
Mr Corbyn’s no-confidence motion was backed by all the opposition parties, including the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats.
His party has not ruled out tabling further no confidence motions – but Mr Corbyn is under pressure from dozens of his own MPs to now get behind calls for a further EU referendum instead.
The leader of the SNP [Scottish National Party] in Westminster, Ian Blackford, welcomed the offer of talks from the prime minister, saying it was important for all parties to “recognise the responsibility that we have” after Mrs May’s original deal was voted down.
He committed his party to “work constructively with the government”.
But he said extending Article 50, the legal mechanism taking the UK out of the EU on 29 March, a further referendum and the avoidance of a no-deal Brexit all “have to be on the table”.
Back on Monday
In her statement, Mrs May reiterated a promise to return to the Commons on Monday to give MPs another vote on her plans.
“The House has put its confidence in this government,” she said.
“I stand ready to work with any member of this House to deliver Brexit and ensure that this House retains the confidence of the British people.”
Do you see another referendum vote coming?