Theresa May hints she’ll quit if no Brexit by end of June

After a morning of rumours and heightened tension over the terms of the Article 50 extension Theresa May will seek, No. 10 have finally released the letter. The Prime Minister has asked the European Commission for a brief delay to Brexit until the end of June. In the letter, May makes clear that she has plans to ask MPs to vote on her deal for a third time – and hopes this extension will allow time for this to happen and the subsequent legislation to pass in an orderly fashion.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, May confirmed that she would put her Brexit deal to a third vote in the Commons but stopped short of saying when. She said that if the deal failed for a third time, Parliament would then need to decide how to proceed. However, it’s not clear who would be at the helm at this point. May used the session to give her biggest hint yet that she could resign in the next few months. The Prime Minister said that she could not accept a Brexit delay past June 30:

‘But as Prime Minister I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than 30 June.’

This appears to suggest that should May fail to pass her deal in any extension and then the Commons move to block the UK from leaving the EU in the timeframe, she would have to consider her position. In fairness, many Tory MPs believe she wouldn’t have much of a choice in the matter. The general view in the party is that were May to agree to a lengthly extension – of a year or two – Brexiteers could team with Corbyn and vote against the government in a confidence vote.

The problem is there are many Tory MPs – and a handful of whips – who believe that May offering to resign in the next few months would be a carrot that would help to make sure Brexit does happen. It could tempt Leave MPs to vote for her deal as they would know she wouldn’t be the one leading the second half of the negotiations. It follows that a resignation by May only if Brexit is delayed indefinitely is not exactly what senior Tories had in mind when it comes to May’s departure from 10 Downing Street.