The daily business briefing: May 23, 2019

Britain's May reportedly prepares to resign facing Brexit backlash, Mnuchin announces delay of Harriet Tubman $20 bill, and more

Theresa May in London
(Image credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

1. Theresa May faces mounting pressure to quit in Brexit backlash

British Prime Minister Theresa May faced mounting calls to resign in a backlash against her latest Brexit plan, and multiple reports indicated she could step down as soon as Friday. The resignation of the leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, on Wednesday night appeared to have left May with no remaining options. Leadsom was scheduled to introduce May's new Brexit plan on Thursday but she said she could not support it because it could pave the way for a second referendum on whether the U.K. should leave the European Union at all, which she said would be "dangerously divisive." The turmoil came as the European Union starts parliamentary elections that could see far-right populists expand their power.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.