‘May could go next week’: Labour MeP

LONDON: Among most influential MEPs in the European Parliament, PIO Claude Moraes predicts that UK PM Theresa May could be ousted very soon following her decision to bring her unpopular Brexit deal back to the House of Commons a fourth time.
Moraes, who according to Vote Watch Europe is the sixth most influential MEP, told TOI on Wednesday that the EU never expected the UK to be taking part in Thursday’s EU elections.
“They genuinely felt the deal they had given Britain was a good one based on Mrs May’s red lines and they had an expectation eventually the House of Commons would agree to it and there was a sense of surprise Britain did not agree. They expected we would leave on March 29 or shortly afterwards.”
Moraes (53), the first Asian male MEP, who is standing as a Labour candidate for re-election in London, said EU negotiators are ready for a populist leader such as Boris Johnson or Dominic Raab to take May's place but will not soften their stance nor re-open the deal. "If anything, they will harden to someone like that," he said. "I have heard that repeatedly from most senior people in EU and I chair the biggest committee in the EU parliament. The EU has known for a long time Theresa May could be toppled and they know the rules for choosing a new Tory leader can be circumvented," he said.
He said the fourth deal has “no chance whatsoever of getting through the Commons as Labour MPs will not vote for it”, “it’s a fudge on customs union” and “May is not proposing a referendum, rather a vote on one.”
He said, "The potential now is they will move on the day after the European election results. I suspect they will move on her next week…”.
May survived a no-confidence vote among Conservative MPs in December meaning that no further challenge can be made for 12 months, but Moraes explained there are some “options" that could oust her. He said there was the “grey suit option” in which the cabinet walk out.
“There is also a nuclear option where the majority of chairmen have to write to the 1922 committee and she has to step down. If she doesn’t then a majority will be created among Tory MPs in a vote of no-confidence and that would lead to a general election which the Tories don’t want as many Tory MPs could get wiped out.” The UK is currently set to leave the EU on October 31 with or without a deal.