Tory MP Says Replacing Theresa May Won't Change Brexit Progress
22 April 2019, 13:35 | Updated: 22 April 2019, 15:10
Environment Minister Therese Coffey says a new party leader will not change the parliamentary arithmetic behind the Brexit deadlock.
LBC Presenter Andrew Castle asked Ms Coffey about the future of Theresa May as Tory leader after polling indicated a collapse in support for the party.
She said: "People are cross with the lack of progress on respecting the referendum result.
"I for one don't think that changing the leader will particularly change the dynamics or the numbers within parliament on making progress.
"We need to make sure somebody who is there, and that's our Prime Minister at the moment, who's got the experience, who's been doing the deal and needs to continue trying to work that through."
Ms Coffey campaigned and voted to remain in the European Union during the 2016 referendum.
She said: "A lot of people just say 'get on with it', and when I try to say we are trying to get on with it but parliament is struggling to agree to a way forward, that doesn't impress them either."
"I've always respected the result of the referendum and we need to make progress.
"I hope that more people have been listening to their constituents to see what is the way forward that they would support, rather than just delay, delay, delay.
"I expect the European election results will be some significant protest result, although it wouldn't surprise me if the results aren't that different from 2014.
"We've got to make progress ideally in the next few weeks so that we can get on with the critical stage of the European negotiations which is the future relationship not just the withdrawal agreement."
