DNA Edit: Bitter pill of divorce - British PM Theresa May’s only silver lining is EU support

Now that the European Union has endorsed British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, there is a temporary cessation of hostilities in the run-up to the divorce. But May’s battle is far from over.

The domestic opposition to the deal is tremendous, with 80 of her own party’s ministers opposing the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration tooth and nail. Having survived the no-confidence motion, May can use the threat of a no-deal Brexit to force the opposition to agree subsequently.

However, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party party, which is propping up May’s government in Parliament, also said it would vote against it. British politics is extremely fractured at the moment and there is no leader who can garner bipartisan support for Brexit.

So May is still the best bet. In the event of the deal failing to get requisite support, the Labour Party is hoping for a reelection and coming to power to renegotiate the terms of the deal. At this point, the domestic logjam shows no sign of petering out. The only silver lining is EU backing of the deal and its eagerness to work out the contours of the new relationship. This approval does give May some sort of leverage at a time when calls for a second referendum are intensifying.

There is also a possibility that May calls for an election in the hope that voters back the deal. Parliamentary approval — the vote is likely to be on December 11 — is crucial for May to move forward with Brexit and failure could lead to her being toppled as a leader or even the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal. A leadership vacuum at this juncture could be disastrous for UK.