Parliament to set aside Brexit to debate letter boxes

[LONDON] Theresa May is facing an unprecedented crisis as she battles a no-confidence vote to keep her administration in office just 10 weeks before Brexit day - and with no divorce deal in sight.

But for 20 minutes, the British Parliament will pause its historic deliberations on the future of the UK and the survival of the government for a short debate about mailboxes.

In one of the quirks of House of Commons procedure, the noise and fury of Prime Minister's Question Time will be followed by a short debate on the subject of the correct height of a door slot.

Vicky Ford, a Conservative, is proposing a ban on letterboxes in new buildings being placed in doors below a certain height. A low slot can cause back injuries for postal workers delivering mail, while also making them more vulnerable to being bitten or scratched by cats and dogs on the other side.

Only once the discussion on low-level letterboxes is over will the Commons begin debating whether it has confidence in Mrs May's government continuing to run the country.

BLOOMBERG