UK PM May to address her lawmakers after attacks over Brexit

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May will address Conservative Party lawmakers at a private meeting in parliament on Wednesday after anger at her Brexit negotiating strategy prompted some of them to discuss replacing her.

May asked to address her divided party's powerful "1922 Committee" where she can expect questions from lawmakers, some of whom have discussed forcing a leadership contest.

With just over five months to go until Britain's scheduled departure from the EU on March 29, May's Brexit negotiation has stalled over a disagreement on a fallback plan for the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Many business leaders and investors fear politics could scupper an agreement, thrusting the world's fifth largest economy into a "no-deal" Brexit they say would spook markets and clog up the arteries of trade.

Companies will suffer and criminals could benefit from the inevitable border disruption that will ensue if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, the country's public spending watchdog said on Wednesday.

May failed to clinch a deal at an EU summit last week and her decision to raise the possibility of extending a post-Brexit transition period -- keeping Britain under EU governance with no say in it to help end the deadlock -- has angered both hardline supporters of Brexit and pro-EU lawmakers.

An Ipsos MORI poll on Wednesday showed a record 78 percent of voters lacked confidence in May to get a good deal from Brussels, compared to 70 percent in September.

"And yet, the public don't put all the blame at her door – and nor is there much evidence that they would have much more confidence in anyone else," said Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI.

Many Conservative Party lawmakers are wary of toppling a leader on the eve of Britain's most significant political and economic move it joined the bloc in 1973. Many also fear an election could bring the opposition Labour Party into power.

Reuters