Theresa May battles to survive both at home and abroad
The PM is criticised as she announces she is sticking to the Brexit timetable and defends her attempts at a deal with the DUP.
Wednesday 14 June 2017 02:00, UK
Theresa May is battling to survive in power at home and abroad: at home trying to build a Commons majority and in Europe starting Brexit negotiations.
Before joining French President Emmanuel Macron to watch England get beaten 3-2 by France in Paris, she insisted she will not need extra time to negotiate Brexit.
Speaking alongside the President at the Elysee Palace, she said: "I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week."
But Mr Macron appeared to suggest the UK , saying: "Of course the door remains open, always open, until the Brexit negotiations come to an end."
The PM's predecessor David Cameron, meanwhile, claimed in Poland that there would be "pressure for a softer Brexit" and Parliament now "deserves a say" on the issue.
"It's going to be difficult, there's no doubt about that, but perhaps an opportunity to consult more widely with the other parties on how best we can achieve it," he said.
At the Elysee news conference, Mrs May also defended her attempts to do a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party to keep the Tories in power.
"What we are doing in relation to the productive talks that we are holding with the Democratic Unionist Party is ensuring that it is possible to, with their support, give the stability to the UK Government that I think is necessary at this time.
"We stand at a critical time with those Brexit negotiations starting only next week - I think that stability is important.
"We have worked as a party with the DUP before and those are productive talks. The intent is to ensure that we have the stability of Government in the national interest."
After two hours of negotiations at No 10, the DUP's leader, Arlene Foster, has remained in London for further talks.
But within the Conservative Party, the election recriminations are continuing. A minister sacked by Theresa May is claiming that the Tories are facing the wilderness if they do not change.
"The Conservative Party is on death row," Robert Halfon wrote in the Sun.
"Unless we reform our values, our membership offering and our party infrastructure, we face defeat at the next election - and potentially years of opposition."
In a TV interview, Mr Halfon added: "I genuinely believe we face potential calamity as a party because people do not understand our values, they see us just in terms of austerity.
"We have failed to get our message about being the party of the ladder of opportunity across and we failed to get a message that we are also the party for the poor."
As Labour's Shadow Cabinet meets for the first time since the election, Diane Abbott, who stepped aside just days before polling day, revealed that she was diagnosed with with type 2 diabetes two years ago and that is why she took a break.
"During the election campaign, everything went crazy - and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control," she told the Guardian,
She added: "It is a condition you can manage. I am doing that now and I feel ready to get back to work."