Theresa May slams MPs and tells public: ‘I’m on your side’
Prime minister accused of ‘arrogance’ after Downing Street address
Theresa May has told the public she is “on their side” and blamed the Brexit deadlock on MPs.
Speaking at the lectern inside 10 Downing Street, the prime minister said the nation was “tired of infighting and political games” and it was “high time” parliament found a way forward.
Earlier, she had written to EU Council President Donald Tusk requesting to delay Brexit until 30 June, describing the potential extension as a “matter of great personal regret”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June,” she declared last night.
In response to the note, Tusk said he believed Brussels would agree to a short extension, but only if May's deal passes the Commons next week.
The Guardian described May’s address as “defiant”, while the Daily Mirror called the PM “arrogant”.
“May has pitched herself tonight against Parliament on the side of the people,” said the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
MPs openly questioned the merit of her podium appearance - fellow Conservative Connor Burns asked: “What was actually the point of that?” - but allies said she felt it imperitive to lay out the line she is not willing to cross as prime minister, says Kuenssberg.
Jeremy Corbyn said she was “in complete denial about the scale of the crisis”, but Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, was perhaps the most damning, dubbing the prime minister a “Trump wannabe”.
May told the nation: “Of this I am absolutely sure. You, the public, have had enough.”
She said the public has “real concerns about our children's schools, our National Health Service, knife crime. You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with. I agree.”
She flies to Brussels today to ask EU leaders to push back the date Britain leaves the bloc.
Tusk has suggested there could be a special summit called next week to rule on the extension, or European Union leaders could do it in writing.
Tory Brexiteers have pointed out that the UK could leave the EU as planned, but without a deal. “We can leave on the 29 March - on time, as planned, as promised,” said Tom Pursglove MP. “There is absolutely no need to delay. The ball is in her court.”
Meanwhile, in The Daily Telegraph, former UKIP leader Nigel Farage did not mince his words, saying: “If Theresa May buckles and delays Brexit, I will do my best to tear her party limb from limb.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A beginner's guide to exploring the Amazon
The Week Recommends Trek carefully — and respectfully — in the world's largest rainforest
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
What is the future of the International Space Station?
In the Spotlight A fiery retirement, launching the era of private space stations
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
What are the rules of a no-buy vs. low-buy year?
The Explainer These two revised approaches to purchasing could help you save big
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
New Year's Honours: why the controversy?
Today's Big Question London Mayor Sadiq Khan and England men's football manager Gareth Southgate have both received a knighthood despite debatable records
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is there a Christmas curse on Downing Street?
Today's Big Question Keir Starmer could follow a long line of prime ministers forced to swap festive cheer for the dreaded Christmas crisis
By The Week UK Published
-
Will Starmer's Brexit reset work?
Today's Big Question PM will have to tread a fine line to keep Leavers on side as leaks suggest EU's 'tough red lines' in trade talks next year
By The Week UK Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published