THERESA MAY has abandoned hopes to pass a Brexit deal before the Council Elections – amid pleas from Tory MPs for a “cease fire”.
Insiders said it was now inevitable the Government would wait until AFTER May 2 to even attempt putting its Withdrawal Bill before Parliament.
PA
The Bill is the legislative springboard for leaving the EU.
One senior source said the delay was down to Downing Street being “clueless” over what it can say in the legislation to win a majority in the Commons.
Theresa May has so far lost three votes on her Brexit deal.
But others said Tory MPs had been “begging” party chiefs to scrap any mention of Brexit before the local elections next Thursday because the issue is so toxic on the doorstep.
CAMPAIGNING PROBLEMS
One Tory council candidate in Colchester, Essex was punched earlier this week.
A separate source said activists were also urging Conservative HQ NOT to send big name Ministers to their patch – because of the Brexit logjam.
A poll two weeks ago showed support for the Conservative Party had fallen to its lowest level in six years.
One senior Tory said: “The Brexit mess is going down very badly on the doorsteps. We just need to focus on local issues – like bins.”
Another said: “There’s a very expectation Brexit won’t be mentioned at all until the elections are over. The reality is nothing will happen.”
Pollsters believe the Conservatives will lose more than 500 seats next Thursday. Tory party insiders have talked of losses of more than 1,000.
But one source said: “That’s expectations management. Anything around 500 is a disaster. And all we deserve.”
AFP
