Theresa May’s lack of political acumen meant she wasn’t up for job

Posted By: May 25, 2019

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING
Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus
 

 

“The only way to stop a new prime minister pushing for no-deal is a vote of no confidence followed by a general election. Would the DUP support a no-confidence vote or would they vote for no-deal?”

Brian Feeney. Irish News. Belfast. Saturday, May 25, 2019

Cold, robotic, obsessive, devoid of emotional intelligence, and according to some, vengeful to people like George Osborne who’d disagreed with her or bested her in an argument, Theresa May is the past.

She failed in everything she set out to do, including reducing immigration to ‘tens of thousands’, just one of her preposterous slogans like ‘Brexit means Brexit’ or ‘strong and stable’ or ‘nothing has changed’.

Amid all the crocodile tears from colleagues who have striven to get rid of her, no-one expressed any affection – it was all about duty, public service, tireless efforts. They’re glad she’s gone. She wasn’t up to the job and her lack of charisma, but more importantly, lack of political acumen, led to 33 ministerial resignations and finally, complete, unprecedented indiscipline in her cabinet.

Best not to go back over the long list of mistakes and misjudgments she made. We are where we are and what a mess she left.

First, the collapse of her premiership means the Stormont talks are going nowhere. The only silver lining means that our current dreadful proconsul, umbilically linked to May, will be sacked, to the regret of no-one.

However, nothing will happen now before the autumn and the establishment of a new British administration. Will the confidence and supply deal with the DUP, which wrecked any prospects of agreement here, be renewed at the end of June? How can it be before a new prime minister is selected, and that won’t happen before July?

At present, the favorite is Boris Johnson. Certainly, he’s the favorite of the Conservative membership who have the final say.

People talk about his lack of support among Conservative MPs who initially whittle the contenders down to two. At present they look as numerous as a Grand National field, but Conservative members will be telling their MPs to vote for Johnson and if they don’t, asking why not.

In any case, all the contenders will be touting their hard-Brexit credentials, which makes no-deal a real threat. Lest you forget, there are only three legal options: May’s deal, no deal or no Brexit.

Two of those are non-starters. Whoever wins will certainly go to Brussels to demand the backstop be removed or Withdrawal Agreement reopened. They’ll be knocked back. It’s unlikely a hard Brexiteer will ask for another extension because that’s a confession of failure; it means Britain hasn’t left the EU.

There’s another problem with that. Several EU countries, led by President Macron, will oppose any extension as Macron did in April. He correctly predicted there would be an awkward squad of Brexit MEPs from the UK in the new European Parliament.

They will sit there unless and until the UK leaves, potentially obstructing the budget and election of the new Commission and Council presidents. If there’s no extension the UK will have to crash out on October 31.

With a new prime minister in the autumn, there’s a new parliamentary session, so all bets are off; no meaningful votes, the resolution preventing no deal not binding.

The only way to stop a new prime minister pushing for no-deal is a vote of no confidence followed by a general election. Would the DUP support a no-confidence vote or would they vote for no-deal?

Remember, Deputy Dodds used to intone like Theresa May, ‘No deal is better than a bad deal.’ Does he still say that?

Now here’s the thing. If it’s Johnson, he won’t make a deal with the DUP until September and if you were the DUP would you trust him?

Theresa May he ain’t. You’re playing senior hurling now lads.