The vote to delay Brexit for ayet-to-be-determined length of time has been met in the papers today with a mix of incredulity, calls for more time and speculation as to whether it will boost May’s hand in negotiations.
The Express carries the stark headline: “Failures”, with a letter to MPs from the paper. “We the people of Britain voted on June 23rd 2016 to leave the EU,” it says. “YOU, our servants, agreed to fulfil this mandate, enshrining in law the date of our departure on March 29th.” It finishes with a scathing assessment of the decision to delay article 50: “What a damning indictment of OUR democracy”.
Tomorrow's @Daily_Express front page:
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) March 14, 2019
- You have decided to delay #Brexit... what a damning indictment of our democracy
- Palace split for William and Harry #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/6SdMTja71G
The Telegraph’s headline is “One last roll of the dice” as “May bets all on a third and final attempt to get her Brexit deal through the Commons”. The paper says that huge pressure will now by applied to her DUP partners and to hardline Brexiters in the Tory party to “fall in behind the prime minster’s deal”.
Friday's Daily Telegraph front page: 'One last roll of the dice' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/GgUU5Ploio
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 14, 2019
The FT takes a similar line, saying the vote to delay “boosts May’s hand in pushing through Brexit deal”, adding that there are “signs Eurosceptics are weakening”.
Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Friday 15 March https://t.co/61tdMGkFbD pic.twitter.com/wq7LSsRgS5
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) March 14, 2019
The Times plays a straight bat on the vote, with “May to ask for Brexit delay”, perhaps optimistically noting that Britain could stay in the EU until 30 June. It says the PM’s chances of keeping her deal alive “were raised after she won four Commons votes”. However, it also calls out the ministers who defied her, saying she had to “suffer the indignity of seven cabinet ministers, including Stephen Barclay, her Brexit secretary, voting against her motion to approve a delay to Brexit”.
The Times 15/3/2019
— The Times Pictures (@TimesPictures) March 14, 2019
Bryony Frost, 23, from Devon celebrates on Frodon, winning the Ryanair Chase making her the first woman to win a grade 1 jumps race at Cheltenham Festival. Photo : David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile#thetimes #tomorrowspaperstoday #cheltenhamfestival @thetimes pic.twitter.com/9MwepnflII
The Guardian says the cabinet split has been exposed as “MPs vote overwhelmingly to delay Brexit”. It also notes the gravity of cabinet ministers voting against the motion to extend article 50, adding that for now, May has “narrowly retained control of the next steps of the process”.
Guardian front page, Friday 15 March 2019: Cabinet split exposed as MPs vote overwhelmingly to delay Brexit pic.twitter.com/0DyC4UuCAO
— The Guardian (@guardian) March 14, 2019
The i’s splash headline is “Brexit delayed”. It notes that “Tory refuseniks” are “willing to compromise if May quits this summer”. It also highlights the government splits “laid bare” and that the PM has “narrowly stopped the Commons form seizing control of negotiations”.
