U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May pledged “to battle in Brussels for Britain” and insisted she has secured a majority in parliament to support her Brexit deal — provided the EU agrees to unspecified changes to the Withdrawal Treaty.
Writing in the Telegraph, May hailed Tuesday’s vote in parliament as proof that she could safely shepherd the U.K. out of the EU without delaying the March 29 exit date, and she forcefully dismissed calls for a second referendum.
In her letter May said “Tuesday’s votes were not just about what Parliament did not want. Crucially, after months of passionate and often divisive debate, Parliament sent a clear message about what it does want.By a majority of 16, MPs said that, with changes to the Northern Ireland backstop, they would support the deal that I agreed with Brussels to take us out of the EU. Significantly, the amendment that MPs voted in favour of carried support from across the Conservative Party. My colleagues – who had found themselves in different division lobbies in recent months – stood together, united in support of a single proposition.”
“When I return to Brussels I will be battling for Britain and Northern Ireland, I will be armed with a fresh mandate, new ideas and a renewed determination to agree a pragmatic solution that delivers the Brexit the British people voted for,” May wrote.
May’s op-ed appeared largely aimed at trying to persuade her critics and opponents at home — a signal the vote in parliament has hardly settled Britain’s rancorous domestic Brexit debate.
“I’m committed to doing just that. It’s why I’ve asked MPs to work through the February recess, so there is sufficient time to complete the many legislative tasks at hand. It’s why I’m continuing to work with and listen to politicians from all parties, the leaders of our biggest trade unions and senior figures representing the businesses that power our economy and provide jobs for millions of British people. And it’s why when I return to Brussels I will be battling for Britain and Northern Ireland, I will be armed with a fresh mandate, new ideas and a renewed determination to agree a pragmatic solution that delivers the Brexit the British people voted for, while ensuring there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. That is what Parliament instructed me to do on Tuesday night”, she wrote.
