Theresa May is today meeting with her Cabinet to discuss a finalised deal she has come to with the European Union, regarding the terms of the United Kingdom's exit in 2019. The Prime Minister has already faced fierce criticism both from those on the opposite side of Parliament, as well as those who are supposed to stand behind her, but will that mean her Cabinet block the passing of the deal, or will they back her anyway to protect the government from collapsing and a fresh general election?
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz with UK Prime Minister Theresa May / Photo Credit: babirad/FAMOUS
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn promised last night (November 13) that the deal would have to meet the party's "six tests" if they were to even consider backing it, adding that Parliament should be "able to amend and propose alternatives" to the deal if brought forward by the government.
Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also slammed the proposal from the Prime Minister, saying last night that "it is vassal state stuff", and encouraging current members of the Cabinet to resign from their position in protest.
What is clear in Johnson's comments is that he still has his eyes firmly on the country's leading position in government, but whether or not he'll be able to take on the role of Prime Minister in the near future is still something very up in the air.
Staunch Brexiteer and Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg spoke in agreement with Johnson, but went a step further claiming that Mrs May has accepted the UK will become not just "a vassal state but a slave state" to the EU.
Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster also seems to be against whatever Mrs May has put forward, saying that "it would be democratically unacceptable for Northern Ireland trade rules to be set by Brussels." Deputy leader Nigel Dodds added that the PM may find it difficult to persuade ministers and MPs to support the draft deal.
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis also tweeted that "Cabinet Ministers must recognise their responsibility and think very carefully about the decisions they make today," adding that the proposed text would be "a betrayal of the referendum result and have irreversible consequences for years."
Further details surrounding the Cabinet's decision and the draft deal are expected from around 5pm, following a three-hour meeting that will either make May's next few months easier than expected, or a living hell. We're at a fork in the road, and it's one the PM has been approaching for some time.
Only one thing's for sure: the world's eyes are on Britain's leader; now is the time to deliver, or step aside.
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