May highlights Brexit consensus
UK prime minister, chastened by election surprise, takes more consultative approach to Britain leaving EU in speech read by queen
Prime Minister Theresa May promised on Wednesday to listen more closely to businesses’ concerns about Britain leaving the EU as she set out a Brexit-focused government programme, cut back to reflect her weakened authority. Chastened by an election which left her Conservative Party short of a majority in parliament and reopened debate on the nature of Britain’s EU exit, May also sidelined reform on social care, education and corporate governance. The two-year programme for government, known as the Queen’s Speech, was prepared by ministers and read out by Queen Elizabeth in parliament at its formal opening ceremony. At a time of unprecedented political uncertainty, May is under pressure to secure a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to prop up her government after nearly two weeks of talks. The queen told legislators from both houses of parliament that the government was committed to building "the widest possible consensus" on Brexit, working with parliament,...
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