Friday, March 29

May could set exit date next week


 

 

The Prime Minister may offer a clear understanding of her timetable for departure next week, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee has said.

Theresa May has previously suggested she will leave Downing Street after her Brexit deal has been passed by Parliament.

But Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the committee since May 2010, told BBC Radio 4’s Week in Westminster that Mrs May had offered to meet with the executive following a request for clarity on her plans.

He told the programme: It would be strange for that not to result in a clear understanding… at the end of the meeting.

The Altrincham and Sale West MP added he understood her reticence to set a date, but added: I don’t think it’s about an intention for staying indefinitely as prime minister or leader of the Conservative Party.

I think the reticence is the concern that by promising to go on a certain timetable, it might make it less likely she would secure Parliamentary approval for the withdrawal agreement, rather than more likely.

Earlier this week, Mrs May rebuffed demands to set out a timetable for her departure from No 10 amid growing pressure from Tory MPs to make way for a new leader.

Downing Street made clear the Prime Minister was not ready to go beyond her earlier promise to the 1922 to quit as Tory leader when the first phase of Brexit negotiations dealing with the divorce terms is complete.

The PM made a very generous and bold offer to the 1922 Committee a few weeks ago that she would see through phase one of the Brexit process and she would leave and open up for new leadership for phase two, a No 10 source said.