Sexism appeared to have played a part in Conservative lawmakers’ rejection of former British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal with Brussels, a former minister in May’s government said.
Amber Rudd told BBC Radio 5 Live, on Tuesday that it is “difficult not to share“ the view that sexism had contributed to May’s stepping down in June.
May’s deal failed to win a majority in the parliament because some Conservative lawmakers opposed her government in crucial votes, including several dozen rebels from the male-dominated European Research Group (ERG), of Conservative eurosceptics.
“I find it very disappointing, and I found it at the time, the way that May was treated by some of these largely male groups.
“It did feel like we had a second female prime minister being pushed out by a group of men, referring to senior Conservatives forcing out Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, in 1990,” Rudd said.
However, Pro-EU Rudd said the Conservative eurosceptics “clearly felt that if May had been tougher with the EU, and indeed with her own members or parliament, perhaps, then they would have gotten the deal that they wanted. “
Rudd told the BBC that she expected the eurosceptics to back any Brexit deal that May’s successor, Boris Johnson, can secure from then last-ditch talks in Brussels
“I think Johnson’s deal is going to be similar. I think they are going to accept it, and people will draw their own conclusions why it should be,“ she said.
