General Election 2017: Brexit minister David Jones says 'it is impossible to tell' if Theresa May will be PM in six months' time

Uncertain future: David Jones, Brexit minister, said he could not predict if Theresa May would be leader in six months' time
BBC news
Fiona Simpson9 June 2017
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Brexit minister David Jones said it was “impossible to say” if Theresa May would be Prime Minster in six months’ time following the shock election result.

Mr Jones said he supported the Prime Minister, despite Britain waking up to a hung parliament, but could not predict how long she would stay in power.

He told BBC Wales: “That's impossible for me to say, and is probably impossible for anyone else to say too."

Speaking on the steps of Number 10 on Friday, Mrs May vowed to govern the country for the next five years despite being forced to enter into a minority government with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Theresa May returns to No.10 after the shock election result
Getty Images

Mrs May’s authority drained away in a night of shock that sent sterling plunging, as the world weighed the implications for Brexit negotiations, which are due to start in 10 days.

Mr Corbyn said Labour had “won this election” after its best vote share since 2001, at 40 per cent, fuelled by an extraordinary turnout of students and young supporters.

Prime Minister Theresa May is clapped into 10 Downing Street in by staff after seeing the Queen
PA

Former Tory MP Matthew Parris dubbed it “the revenge of the young on the older generation” for last year’s Brexit vote.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said there was a risk Britain could be left with "no deal" if talks in Brussels were delayed.

Other EU politicians warned a weakened Westminster government could undermine the Brexit process, with one describing the snap General Election as "yet another own goal".

General Election Night 2017 - In pictures

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Leaders across Europe suggested the Conservatives losing their majority would delay Brexit talks due to start this month and increase the risk of negotiations failing.

Mr Tusk warned time was running out to reach an agreement that could be approved by all 27 remaining EU government in the two-year deadline set out in Article 50.

He tweeted: "We don't know when Brexit talks start. We know when they must end. Do your best to avoid a 'no deal' as result of 'no negotiations'."

Germany's European affairs minister Michael Roth also said time was tight if the the UK was to avoid crashing out of Europe without a deal.

"We should not waste any time," he said.

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