"FURTHER PROCRASTINATION"

May's Brexit deal has been rejected three times by parliament, and weeks of talks with the opposition Labour Party, the idea of which was deeply unpopular with many Conservatives, have failed to find a consensus on the way forward.

A BBC reporter said on Thursday those talks were due to be called off soon after the ruling Conservatives gave up on any hope of a resolution.

Mired in Brexit deadlock and forced to delay Britain's March 29 exit from the EU, May's Conservatives suffered major losses in local elections this month and are trailing in opinion polls before May 23 European Parliament elections.

With Labour and Brexit-supporting rebels in the Conservatives planning to vote against her deal, it is unlikely to be approved as things stand.

Pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers were unimpressed with May's failure to set a firm date to quit. One, who declined to be named, described it as "yet further procrastination which is causing appalling damage to the Conservative Party."

Another, Andrew Bridgen, said May was "an increasingly beleaguered and isolated prime minister who is desperate to salvage something from her premiership and is prepared to drive through an agreement that would fatally hamstring any future prime minister in negotiations with the EU."

Reuters