May appeals for party unity at 'toughest phase' of Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May's address at a party conference in Birmingham has been seen as a crucial moment for her as she faces mounting criticism over stalled Brexit negotiations with senior party figures calling for her to change her plans.
Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister Theresa May addresses delegates during a speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, October 3 , 2018.
Prime Minister Theresa May appealed on Wednesday to her divided party to unite behind her as she heads into the "toughest phase" of Brexit negotiations, as EU leaders pressure Britain to change tack.
She offered delegates at her Conservative party conference a positive vision of life after Brexit, which she announced would also see the end of eight years of austerity measures.
Brexit was a "moment of opportunity", she told a packed hall in Birmingham, central England, adding: "There is a whole world out there. Let's lift our horizons to meet it."
But the party remains deeply split over Brexit, with eurosceptic MPs led by former foreign minister Boris Johnson running a programme of conference fringe events at which they savaged May's plan.
EU leaders have also rejected her proposal for Britain to remain closely economically aligned with the bloc, and gave her until a summit on October 18 to rework it.
European officials are now increasingly anxious about the risk of Britain leaving with no deal in March.
France unveiled a draft law for such a scenario, with the budget minister admitting Paris was preparing "for the worst".
May acknowledged the coming months were crucial, and warned failing to reach a deal "would be a bad outcome" for both sides.
"We are entering the toughest phase of the negotiations. If we stick together and hold our nerve, I know we can get a deal that delivers for Britain," she said.
TRT World's Simon McGregor-Wood reports from Birmingham
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.