British Prime Minister Theresa May won the backing of the most prominent Brexiteer in her government on Friday as she fought to save a draft European Union divorce deal that has stirred up a plot to force her out of her job.
More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019.
Just hours after announcing that her senior ministers had collectively backed her divorce deal, May was thrust into her premiership’s most perilous crisis when her Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned on Thursday to oppose the agreement.
Other mutinous lawmakers in her party have openly spoken of ousting her and said the Brexit deal would not pass parliament.
But May, who has defiantly vowed to stay on as prime minister, got a rare boost on Friday when Michael Gove, the most prominent Brexit-supporting minister, gave his backing to her, saying he would stay on as environment minister.
Asked if he had confidence in May, Gove told reporters: “I absolutely do.”
“I think it’s absolutely vital that we focus on getting the right deal in the future, and making sure that in the areas that matter so much to the British people we can get a good outcome,” said Gove, 51, a potential successor to May.
Trade minister Liam Fox, another leading Brexit supporter, joined Gove in backing May – but her future remains uncertain.
The first question she faced on an LBC radio phone-in show to defend her deal was from a caller who asked her to “respectfully stand down”. She did not immediately address that part of the caller’s question.
Stephen Barclay, a little-known junior health minister, was appointed as the new Brexit secretary, although the status of the role was downgraded from chief negotiator with May leading the completion of talks with the EU.
“We now need to keep up the momentum to finalize the Withdrawal Agreement and outline political declaration, and deliver a Brexit that works for the whole UK,” Barclay tweeted.
May’s spokesman said Barclay would have a domestic role. “The PM will be completing the last 10 days of negotiations,” he said. Former interior minister Amber Rudd was named work and pensions secretary, replacing Esther McVey who also quit over the Brexit plan.
Sterling GBP=D3, which has see-sawed on Brexit news since the referendum, was up half a cent against the dollar at $1.2834 on Friday.
