May out of options
Chaos as Parliament rejects four alternative Brexit paths
BRITAIN’S exit from the European Union remains deadlocked after the House of Commons failed to agree on any alternative to Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal, rejecting all indicative vote options.
After a tumultuous week in which Mrs May’s divorce strategy was rejected by lawmakers for a third time – despite her offer to quit if it passed – the future direction of Brexit now remains mired in confusion.
In a bid to break the impasse, lawmakers yesterday voted on four alternative Brexit options, but all four options were defeated. The four options included remaining in a customs union with the EU, membership of the single market with a customs arrangement, putting any agreed deal to a second referendum and halting Brexit altogether if necessary to avoid leaving the bloc without a deal.
The option that came closest to getting a majority was a proposal to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU, which was only defeated by three votes.
Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay told the House of Commons the default legal position was that the UK would leave the EU in 11 days’ time, and that to secure an extension Britain must provide a “credible” plan.
All 10 MPs from the Northern Irish party propping up Mrs May’s Government voted against the four alternative Brexit options.
Mrs May will now seek to break the Brexit deadlock as she last night gathered her Cabinet for a marathon session of crisis talks and discussions in Downing Street.
The first three hours of the five-hour meeting will be without civil servants, fuelling speculation the senior Tories could use the time to consider a snap election, the timing of the Prime Minister’s exit from office or to air the bitter grievances between the Cabinet’s Leave and Remain wings of the party. Mrs May’s Government and her Conservative Party, which has been trying to contain a schism over Europe for 30 years, are now stuck between those who are demanding that Mrs May pilot a decisive break with the bloc and those demanding that she rule out such an outcome.
If Mrs May were to throw her weight behind either camp, she would risk tearing her party apart and bringing down the government.
Britain had been due to leave the EU on March 29 but the political deadlock forced her to ask the bloc for a delay.