May stays, fate of Brexit deal unsure – The Wall Street Journal
DUBLIN – UK prime minister Theresa May saw off a leadership challenge on Wednesday night, leaving her the undisputed leader of the Conservative Party. Under previous Tory rules, Margaret Thatcher resigned after winning a vote of no confidence 204 to 152. May's margin was better – she won by 200 to 117, her opponents falling far short of the 159 votes they needed to unseat her. Nevertheless, the victory wasn't overwhelming enough to cement her leadership and she still faces a very difficult challenge: getting a Brexit deal signed before the March 29, 2019 deadline. The current deal May is touting has proven widely unpopular. Hard-core Brexiters within her party believe it does not provide a clean enough break with the EU, while many Remainers would like to see a new referendum, now that voters can see exactly what Brexit means. May has reached out to the EU to try to renegotiate key aspects of the deal – specifically, its provisions regarding a hard border in Ireland – but her European counterparts seem to have little appetite for another round of negotiation. With a few months to go before the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, it's still an open bet what Britain's future looks like. – Felicity Duncan
By Max Colchester
(The Wall Street Journal) LONDON—British Prime Minister Theresa May narrowly beat back a leadership challenge Wednesday, quelling a damaging rebellion within her party that leaves her politically wounded and the route to Brexit unclear.
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