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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Prime Minister Theresa May. Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Images

Theresa May is now asking Labour for ideas as bad news piles up for the British PM

Her party is trailing in the polls and party members are saying she is ‘dead in the water’.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Theresa May acknowledged the “reality” of her weakened position today by appealing to other parties to help implement Brexit, as she sought to relaunch her year-old premiership.

One month after losing her parliamentary majority in a snap election, the Conservative leader said she was still committed to “bold action” to fulfil her promises of change.

But as fresh rumours swirled of plans to oust her, May accepted that “the reality I now face as prime minister is rather different” than it was.

Her comments came in excerpts of a speech due to be delivered on tomorrow, the anniversary of her winning the Conservative Party leadership race after last year’s referendum vote to leave the EU.

“In this new context, it will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in parliament as well as in the country,” May will say.

So I say to the other parties in the House of Commons… come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.

May has been struggling to maintain her authority since the 8 June election, which she called three years early only to lose seats, leaving her with a minority government.

The first opinion released since last month’s election showed Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party holding an eight point lead over the Conservatives.

‘Dead in the water’

The Mail on Sunday reported that former Conservative chief whip Andrew Mitchell had told a private meeting of MPs that May was “dead in the water” and must quit.

Justice Secretary David Lidington said this and other rumours were the result of politicians enjoying “too much sun and too much warm Prosecco” at summer parties.

May’s de facto deputy Damian Green insisted Monday that her call for cross-party cooperation was a “grown-up way of doing politics”.

May had been accused of stifling dissent over her plans to take Britain out of Europe’s single market, end jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and leave the bloc without a deal in place.

But members of her cabinet have been increasingly outspoken since the election, particularly finance minister Philip Hammond, who favours a more conciliatory approach amid fears of the damage a clean break could do to business.

A new cross-party parliamentary group was launched on today calling for the “closest possible relationship” with the EU and demanding that “all options are kept on the table” in the negotiations, which began last month.

It is co-chaired by opposition Labour MP Chuka Umunna and Conservative former minister Anna Soubry, both outspoken pro-Europeans, and backed by the smaller Liberal Democrats.

© – AFP 2017

Read: Protesters on high alert amid reports Trump planning ‘sneak’ visit to UK in next two weeks >

Read: Gerry Adams asks UK to not restore direct rule from Westminster in North >

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    Mute Rafa C
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    Jun 16th 2024, 10:12 PM

    I thought the questions would be about the 1980s cartoon series… Very disappointing 1.

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    Mute Louise Keehan
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    Jun 16th 2024, 10:37 PM

    @Rafa C: my brain can’t help but sing it now!!!

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    Jun 16th 2024, 11:35 PM

    @Rafa C: OK, what was the name of the original Japanese Anima? In Japanese for bonus points….

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jun 16th 2024, 11:02 PM

    I’m sure he’s brilliant but I can’t make head nor tail of his writing.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Jun 17th 2024, 12:00 AM

    @Bert Carolan: Try Dubliners, I found it the most accessible one. I couldn’t get far into Ulysses.

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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jun 17th 2024, 12:42 AM

    @John Smith: anyone who claims to have read Ulysses is a narcissist and up their own A. I know because my excuse for a Dad apparently did.

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    Mute Paul Red
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    Jun 17th 2024, 12:53 AM

    @Donna Fallon: absolute rubbish. The idea is ludicrous

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    Mute John D Doe
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    Jun 17th 2024, 3:43 AM

    @Donna Fallon: how many cats have you

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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jun 18th 2024, 8:19 AM

    @John D Doe: I’m more of a dog person TBH John.

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    Mute rosemary flowers
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    Jun 19th 2024, 12:33 PM

    @Donna Fallon: BS, I read it 5 times because it referred to many places I knew as a child. It’s very hard going at times but I loved the way Joyce painted old Dublin, unfortunately many places have disappeared or are unrecognisable nowadays.

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    Mute David Stapleton
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    Jun 17th 2024, 7:14 AM

    I could have sworn he was buried in Paris.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Jun 16th 2024, 10:20 PM

    Fantastic writer / poet, bazaar reading, and history at times. 11/12 ain’t bad. Quizzical fellow.

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    Mute nollaig o cellaigh
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    Jun 16th 2024, 11:16 PM

    9 / 12

    Surprised myself

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    Mute Setanta O'Toole
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    Jun 17th 2024, 2:37 PM

    Some man for the love letters.

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    Mute edw
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    Jun 16th 2024, 10:30 PM

    I know it’s taken my birthday. d4amn you joyce

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Jun 16th 2024, 10:38 PM

    @edw: Happy Birthday EDW. Happy birthday to you

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Jun 16th 2024, 11:50 PM

    @Paul Somers: cheers.

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