-May’s decision on Syrian airstrikes and Brexit talks
British and French foreign ministers condemned the use of chemical weapons by anyone and anywhere, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement last week revealed.
“The U.K. will continue its cooperation with the U.S. and France to coordinate a response to the suspected chemical attack that killed nearly 80 people [in Syria],” a British government statement said on Thursday.
The statement came following a Cabinet meeting summoned by Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss the options for a response to the Assad regime, which is believed to be behind last Saturday’s deadly attack. May joined U.S. president Donald Trump in response to deadly chemical attacks in Syria and showed solidarity with the western world. However, according to the Financial Times, May will have to explain to Parliament on Monday why she did not seek its consent before launching air strikes on Syria, amid pressure from the U.K.’s Labour party.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was reported as saying by the Guardian on Monday that the air strikes were “a demolition of what appears to be empty buildings, already shown to be entirely ineffective as a deterrent — or it was the precursor to wider military action.” One way or another it seems that May will be challenged with thorough questions on Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Question Time.
May is simultaneously trying to boost trade links between the U.K. and Commonwealth countries while continuing to negotiate with the country’s biggest trading partner, the European Union to leave the bloc and the customs union. Speaking at the opening of a Commonwealth business forum in London, May asked for support from the Commonwealth, a network of mostly former British colonies.
The Commonwealth, headed by Queen Elizabeth, is not a formal trading bloc with a free-trade agreement and relations are mostly based on diplomatic ties. In 2015, it accounted for only 9 percent of British exports while by contrast the EU, which Britain voted to leave in 2016, accounted for around 44 percent, according to Reuters.
“Our Commonwealth family already accounts for one-fifth of global trade,” May said in a statement released before the meeting.
It is clear that May wants to differentiate the economy and make use of every source to be able to mitigate the possible aftershocks of leaving the European Union. Despite fears of a hard Brexit, May is focusing on a softer and smoother process by gaining time, guaranteeing a two-year transition deal, and trying to boost trade ties with emerging economies and Commonwealth members.