Theresa May Takes PMQs, Says It's Her Duty to Keep Fighting for Brexit Deal

Theresa May is under pressure to ditch her Brexit deal and quit as prime minister after a final attempt to win over members of Parliament backfired. But she keeps fighting, saying it’s her duty to put her new plan to another vote.

May will put her new Brexit plan to a vote in the first week of June, and will continue to speak to MPs on all sides to try to get them on board.

Asked whether she would resign today, her spokesman said she was "focused on the job in hand." She’s confident she has the support of her Cabinet and is determined to deliver Brexit. Still, the government realizes it has "work to do" to get backing for the bill.

May’s argument is that MPs should vote for the bill in the first round and then it can be amended -- as with all legislation. If they don’t like the final draft they can reject it at a later stage.

She’s also saying that if MPs throw this bill out then they are opening the door to a binary choice of no-deal or no Brexit.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron offered to vote for May’s deal if she will include a second referendum in the legislation from the start.

“If she will agree to put her deal to the British people in a confirmatory vote I will join her in the lobbies,’’ Farron said. “Will she help me to help her?”

May didn’t directly answer the question but repeated her line that the Withdrawal Agreement Bill is the best way to ensure that the U.K. leaves with a deal.

Earlier, Labour lawmaker Liz Kendall also said a second referendum should be included in the legislation and appealed to Tories opposed to a no-deal split to back another plebiscite to stop May’s successor choosing to crash out without an agreement.

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn repeated his call for a general election and said it had been clear during talks with May that she had no way of ensuring her successor as prime minister would honor the offers that she made.

“Our country needs leadership to bring us together. However, this prime minister is not the person to do that. Throughout the last three years she’s made no attempt to unite the country,’’ he said. “She’s been focused only on keeping her divided party together – and it hasn’t worked. Her time has now run out.’’

Acknowledging that her days as prime minister are numbered, May said she has a “duty” to ask lawmakers to try to pass the agreement she negotiated with the EU.

“While I’m here I have a duty to be clear with the house about the facts. If we’re going to deliver Brexit in this Parliament we’re going to have to pass a Withdrawal Agreement Bill and we’re not going to be able to without holding votes on those issues that have divided us the most,’’ she said.

“I will put those decisions to this house because that’s my duty and it’s the only way we can deliver Brexit.”

She said the bill would go to a vote after recess -- the first week of June as planned.

The prime minister made a key statement on her final Brexit offer to Parliament.

It’s the biggest issue facing the country but instead of crowding into the Commons to hear what she said, Tory MPs left the chamber.

There were far fewer Conservatives there when May started than attending during PMQs. Those MPs who did stay in the room were chatting to each other as May spoke rather than listening to what she said.

When she finished her prepared statement, hardly anyone cheered.

May says her Brexit bill will be published on Friday. Despite the pressure, she’s still fighting.

She appealed for compromise on all sides to find a way through the Brexit impasse and, unusually for a Conservative prime minister, included Trade Unions in her list of those she had listened to as she sought to win the support of Labour MPs.

“Despite our disagreements and divisions we all believe in democracy, we want to make good on the promise we made to the British people,’’ May said. “The only way forward is leaving with a deal but it’s clear that won’t happen without compromises on all sides.”

“We need to see Brexit through.”

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright told BBC radio that the response to May’s speech was not “what we might have hoped for” and refused to commit to a vote on the deal taking place in the week of June 3.

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