‘No-deal’ Brexit on the cards after double blow
Britain’s departure from the European Union has been thrown into chaos and doubt after Parliament delivered a crushing double blow to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit divorce deal and her authority as leader.
Lawmakers rejected the deal
391-242 yesterday, ignoring May’s entreaties to back the agreement and end the political chaos and economic uncertainty that Brexit has unleashed. It was a narrower outcome than the historic
230-vote margin of defeat for the agreement in January, before May secured changes from the EU – but not by much.
Top EU officials warned that the defeat had increased the chances of a chaotic ‘‘no-deal’’ British exit, which could mean major disruption for businesses and people in the United Kingdom and many of the 27 other EU countries.
The stinging 149-vote defeat stripped away May’s control over the course of Brexit and handed it to Parliament, which is divided about what to do next.
A drawn and hoarse May admitted defeat – again – and confirmed that Parliament would vote overnight on whether to leave the EU on March 29 without an agreement. If that is defeated – the likely outcome – MPs will vote tonight on whether to delay Brexit, something that needs to be approved by the EU nations as well.
May warned MPs that ‘‘voting against leaving without a deal and for an extension does not solve the problems we face.’’.
The EU, which had warned that there would be no more changes or negotiations if Parliament threw out the deal, expressed exasperation at yet another Brexit crisis. The European Commission said member states ‘‘have done all that is possible to reach an agreement’’.
‘‘If there is a solution to the current impasse, it can only be found in London,’’ it said, adding that ‘‘today’s vote has significantly increased the likelihood of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit’’.
The defeat came after May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced changes designed to overcome MPs’ concerns about provisions designed to ensure the border between EU member Ireland and Britain’s Northern Ireland remains open after Brexit.
Hardcore Brexit supporters in May’s Conservative Party and the prime minister’s allies in Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party both said they could not support the deal.
Delaying Brexit, the path Britain looks set to take, would need the approval of all 27 remaining EU countries. The European Commission said it would ‘‘expect a credible justification’’ for the postponement.
The government’s defeat will embolden politicians calling for a second referendum on whether to leave the EU, though there is no clear majority in Parliament for that course. It has also increased the chances that May’s fragile government could fall, sparking a snap election. –AP