Large 'Rebellion' Against UK PM May Could Challenge Her Position - Commentator

Theresa May faces another coordinated rebellion from the hard Brexit wing of the Conservative party on Monday, as MPs who unhappy with her Chequers compromise prepare to mount a show of strength by voting for their amendments on the customs bill. Sputnik spoke on the issue with David Lindsay, Political Commentator and Journalist.

Sputnik: David, this is the second deliberate effort we've seen to undermine the PM in 2 weeks! How significant is this and what does it mean for the PM?

David Lindsay: The significance of this would be seen by how large this rebellion is. If there is a very large rebellion that would be capable of defeating the government if the same number of people also voted with the opposition on an occasion, (and that's a big thing to ask). But if it were large enough to do that, it would call her position into question very greatly indeed.

Sputnik: Could we see the opposition Labour party side with the government's Chequers Brexit vision?

David Lindsay: The Prime Minister's Chequers agreement is something to which they are totally very strongly opposed. The official opposition line that has been made quite clear will be to vote against the Chequers agreement. That is because of a variety of reasons inside the Labour Party for opposing it, ranging from very Eurosceptic reasons in the circle around Jeremy Corbyn, to the opposite extreme.

There are a certain number of Labour MPs, who because of their strong commitment to the European Court and because of their strong dislike of Jeremy Corbyn might be minded to vote with the government.

Sputnik: Coinciding with this latest attack on the PM, last week we heard factions of the conservative were preparing to try and push David Davies' alternative Brexit vision through the commons. With this new effort to topple May, could we also see May's, Chequers vision, disappear?

David Lindsay: No, I don't think so, unless they get rid of her, but I'm not sure they have the numbers to get rid of her. It would depend in that case that they put in her place; now, we see that people are rallying around David Davis but it's not clear if he wants it, Jacob Rees Mogg is adamant that he doesn't want it, so the man to watch in that instance is Boris Johnson.

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We've seen Donald Trump arrive in the last couple days and actually endorse Boris Johnson, which is an astonishing intervention by the head of a foreign state. That is where I would look, to Boris Johnson, who very much does want to be Prime Minister, and who quite possibly does now see his moment.

He's a bigger character than David Davis, I wouldn't say as intelligent or as effective a politician but he would be the man to watch — he wants it very badly. He's very opportunistic and self-serving I'm afraid and he would certainly take this opportunity if it presented itself.

The views and opinions expressed by the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.