As Brexit deadline looms, May pledges fresh vote for lawmakers
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British Prime Minister Theresa May promised yesterday to offer lawmakers a vote on her Brexit deal by March 12, the latest delay in her attempt to win approval for a plan to ensure Britain鈥檚 orderly departure from the European Union.
As the United Kingdom鈥檚 labyrinthine Brexit crisis goes down to the wire, May is making a last-ditch effort to get changes to the divorce package but lawmakers may try on Wednesday to grab control of Brexit in a series of parliamentary votes.
After the parliament voted 432-202 against her deal in January, the worst defeat in modern British history, May promised to seek changes that would allow lawmakers to ratify the agreement and thus avoid a potentially disorderly exit. On her way to Egypt for an EU-Arab League summit, May said further meetings in Brussels on securing changes to the deal ruled out a so-called meaningful vote in parliament this week.
Instead, the new 鈥渉igh noon鈥 for Brexit, May and the British parliament will be on March 12, just 17 days before Britain is due to leave on March 29.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 bring a meaningful vote to parliament this week but we will ensure that that happens by the 12th of March,鈥 May told reporters onboard her plane.
鈥淚t is still within our grasp to leave the European Union with a deal on the 29th of March and that is what we are working to do.鈥
In Sharm El-Sheikh, May will try to win the backing of the EU鈥檚 leaders to secure the changes and ease increasing frustration in Europe over the political impasse in Britain over a deal that was agreed with London in November.
The EU has ruled out reopening the Withdrawal Agreement, although both sides are looking at a possible legal addendum to reassure lawmakers who worry the Irish border backstop could keep Britain trapped in the EU鈥檚 orbit for years to come.
鈥淲e have been having positive talks with the European Union ...
鈥淎s you know I was in Brussels last week, ministers were in Brussels last week, my team will be back in Brussels again this coming week. They will be returning to Brussels on Tuesday,鈥 May said.
鈥淚 think what鈥檚 important is that we are still in that process of working with the EU, looking at the ways in which we can resolve the challenge that parliament raised.鈥
With the clock ticking down to March 29, Britain is in the deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project it joined in 1973.
Both Britain鈥檚 major parties fractured last week, losing lawmakers who cast their former parties as broken remnants of a political system that was in meltdown.
Some lawmakers will seek to grab control of Brexit in a series of votes in parliament on Wednesday, although such attempts have previously been defeated.
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