U.K.'s Prime Minister Theresa May is to give a speech Wednesday designed to boost confidence over the country's future once it leaves the European Union (EU) – and to brush off her biggest critic and rival, former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
May will say that Britain's post-Brexit future is "full of promise" and that the country "has everything we need to succeed" when she addresses party delegates on the last day of the Conservative Party's annual conference in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Extracts of her speech, entitled "Our future is in our hands" that were released in advance show that May will seek to unite warring factions within the party – namely, those that favor a "hard" Brexit, those that never wanted to leave the economic and political bloc and those that are reconciled to leaving the EU but want to remain closely aligned to the continent.
May will tell delegates that Britain's "best days lie ahead of us" and that countries across the world stand ready to trade with the U.K. once it leaves the EU in March 2019.
"I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise," she will say when she addresses delegates at 10 a.m. U.K. time. "Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes: we have everything we need to succeed."
Despite the attempt to boost morale within the party, this year's conference has been notable for the stark divide that has been apparent within the Conservatives. The June 2016 referendum on leaving the EU exposed deep ideological divisions within the party (and, needless to say, the country as a whole) and May has struggled to unite party members, and her own Cabinet, around her Brexit proposals.
Divisions over May's Brexit plans, known as the "Chequers plan" (which have also been rejected by the EU as unworkable and undermining of the EU's principles) have led to increasing speculation that May could face a leadership challenge and even another general election.
A likely contender to lead that challenge is Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary and one of May's biggest critics. Johnson, gave a rousing speech at a fringe event at the party's annual conference in which he once again criticized her Brexit proposals.
Telling party delegates to "chuck Chequers" (after calling her plans "deranged" last week) Johnson said he wanted to "stop a ridiculous seeping away of our self-belief." Johnson's speech was also designed to boost confidence around Britain's post-Brexit future.
Although he was preaching to the converted - with those attending the fringe event likely to be fans of Johnson - his speech was widely applauded by the audience and he received standing ovation.
An advocate of a "hard" Brexit with benefits -- or what he calls a "Super Canada" deal, referring to the free trade deal Canada has with the EU which allows for zero tariff trade – Johnson is seen as the most likely contender for the Tory party leadership.
Addressing such speculation, Johnson said that Chancellor Philip Hammond's prediction that he would never be prime minister was "one of the first treasury forecasts in a long time to have a distinct ring of truth."
He also encouraged the party to support the prime minister, putting out a confusing message of critical allegiance to the PM.
Asked what she thought of Johnson's speech, May told Sky News that Johnson had put in a characteristically good performance. "Look, Boris (Johnson) always puts on a good show, but what matters to people is what we're delivering for them on the things that affect their day-to-day lives," she said on Tuesday.
She defended her Chequers plan once again, saying it is one that "delivers on the vote of the British people," she said, adding that "it means we take back control of our money, our borders and our laws."
May's 'Chequers plan' envisages the country staying closely aligned to Europe in terms of trade and regulations although the deal foresees the U.K. being able to stop the free movement of people from the EU. It also foresees the U.K. being able to strike independent trade deals elsewhere.
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