This Week for May: A Matter of Life and Death
The speech delivered by Queen Elizabeth II on June 21 leaves a vital week for May, which has become a matter of life and death.
One week later, the British Parliament will vote to decide whether May could maintain her hard-earned crown of prime minister in accordance with her performance during these two months.
According to the latest poll, the Labour Party is enjoying an increasing popularity. Therefore, this trend may partially explain why the Labour Party are so enthusiastic to launch a new (general) election in order to replace the Conservative and become the majority in the parliament.
As counter-attack to the Labor Party, May and the Conservatives are now building a united front with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). As experts estimated, if the Conservatives can meet their promise to the DUP by adjusting the additional funding to a certain degree, the DUP will be more likely to continue their cooperative negotiation with the Conservatives.
英国首相特蕾莎·梅
The best way for Brexit: make it as soft as possible
Months ago, May and her team have already chosen a hard way to say goodbye to the EU. However, the growing stronger signals released by the latest polls, surveys and media reports have shown more and more British citizens are turning to prefer the soft approach. As a result, May’s administration should respond to the shift in public opinion.
The reasons are understandable. First, the cost of the bitter divorce of the UK and EU has to be paid by the British citizens themselves. Ever since the referendum last year, the negative effects of Brexit in economy is becoming apparent and impacting the daily life of the British people. The growing fear of being marginalized by the European common market forces the median voters, even those people who strongly supported the Brexit to change their minds.
What is more, a major (promised) goal of Brexit is to “keep enemies/terrorists out of the gate”. And the pro-Brexit voters strongly believe that when the English Channel is blocked and all immigrants and migrations are rejected, their country will be safe and all thing goes well. Nonetheless, the brutal massacres during these months are launched by British-born lone-wolfs, rather than new comers or foreigners. Although many of them belong to particular religious and racial groups that related to Middle East, this issue is no longer related to the Brexit. It is linked to the domestic problems, such as ethnic fusion and racial integration, as well as the social accommodation and education of young generations.
So it is clear that the changing public opinion need a soft Brexit. Will May pass the examination of the parliament in the next week and keep the country in a right way of Brexit? Let’s wait and see.
作者：王鹏，察哈尔学会研究员、复旦大学中国研究院助理研究员
文章来源：《亚太日报》英文版（Pacific Daily） 2017年6月23日
（图片来源于网络）