'Dead woman walking': UK Prime Minister Theresa May clings to power

edition.cnn.com ^ | June 11, 2017 | Hilary Clarke and Angela Dewan

[Berlin_Freeper]

UK Prime Minister Theresa May was clinging to power by her fingernails on Sunday after losing her parliamentary majority in last Thursday's election, as an agreement with the minority Democratic Unionist Party that would keep the Conservatives in power was still not finalized.

May's co-chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, handed in their resignations on Saturday following the disastrous election, called by May to strengthen her position ahead of talks to leave the European Union, but which in the end left her weakened.

[dp0622]

I have a feeling Brexit has just left the exit.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it...

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Just $56.00 to 91.00%

[fella]

Her last minute attempt to do something about terrorism looked more like a political stunt than an much needed policy.

[Trump20162020]

Not sure where you got that idea, but all right.

[dp0622]

It’s a shame.

But we’ve got a full fledged battle on our own turf to fight.

Seems like Trump winning was just round 1.

leftists/dems/liberals/communists/fascists are nuts wherever they are

[dp0622]

Put that head deeper into the sand :)

Breathe every now and then though.

If you can’t equate incredibly weakened strength in parliament being a danger to Brexit, you’re not as bright as I thought you were :)

[OttawaFreeper]

I wonder if she did not call the election, she probably would have continued to screw up on other fronts and within a short while from now, winning the premiership would have been practically a gimmee for Corbyn.

[billyboy15]

brexit cannot be stopped. The people voted and the parliament affirmed the vote.

[naturalman1975]

It hasn't.

This is driving me crazy.

Article 50 has been triggered. The only way it can be cancelled or postponed is if every single European Union nation unanimously agrees to allow that. That's written into article 50.

It cannot be stopped even if the British government decided it wanted to back away from it.

The United Kingdom will leave the European Union automatically on March 29th 2019, unless an agreement to extend the negotiation period is unanimously agreed - which is possible but unlikely. There is no way unanimous agreement for it to back out entirely would be forthcoming.

It could leave earlier if negotiations lead to an agreement before that.

[dp0622]

There’s NO chance of a second vote or of parliament deciding it gets to vote under ANY circumstance?

That would be great.

[dp0622]

Owe you an apology.

Apparently I’M not as bright as I thought, and that’s BAD. :)

No way to get out of Brexit now, another FReeper told me.

Again my apologies.

[naturalman1975]

Parliament did decide it got a vote and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom agreed with that (correctly in my view) and then Parliament voted in line with the will of the people and voted for Brexit (as the MPs should do when faced with a referendum result).

Technically Parliament could vote again, and technically they could even order another referendum. There's nothing to stop either of those things happening.

But it would accomplish nothing. Neither a 'No' vote by Parliament, or a 'No' vote in a second referendum would stop Brexit.

The only thing that can stop it is a unanimous vote by the Council of the European Union - which is made up of the Head of Governments or Head of State (where the Head of State still has political power) of all 28 EU nations plus the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

The following is the text of Article 50. Section 3 is the critical one in this case:

1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.
2. A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention. In the light of the guidelines provided by the European Council, the Union shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union. That agreement shall be negotiated in accordance with Article 218(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It shall be concluded on behalf of the Union by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament.
3. The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.
4. For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3, the member of the European Council or of the Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or Council or in decisions concerning it.
A qualified majority shall be defined in accordance with Article 238(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 5. If a State which has withdrawn from the Union asks to rejoin, its request shall be subject to the procedure referred to in Article 49.

The United Kingdom could apply to rejoin again under Article 49, once it has left, but only by starting from scratch.

Technically Article 3 only allows exit to be delayed, but an indefinite delay would be the same as not leaving. But the key is it would have to be a unanimous vote - and there are a number of members that would not allow that to happen for various reasons (it was hard enough for Britain to get in in the first place - and there are more nations to deal with now).

[dp0622]

Thanks man