Theresa May threatened rebels with a national election

Baku. 18 July. REPORT.AZ/ British Prime Minister Theresa May threatened rebel lawmakers in her Conservative Party with a general election this summer if they defeated her Brexit plans on customs. Report informs, The Times newspaper reported.

The Times said that Conservative whips, who enforce discipline in the party, issued the warning to pro-EU lawmakers, led by the former ministers Stephen Hammond and Nicky Morgan, minutes before a crucial vote on Tuesday on customs. May narrowly avoided a defeat in parliament at the hands of the pro-EU lawmakers from her own party in the vote. Parliament voted 307 to 301 against an amendment to trade legislation that would have required the government to try to negotiate a customs union arrangement with the EU if, by Jan. 21, 2019, it had failed to negotiate a frictionless free trade deal with the bloc.

Notably, Brexit will be held on March 29, 2019, after which, according to the plan, there should be a transition period, which will last until December 31, 2020.