U.K. leader may let Parliament decide on Brexit backstop

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday she may let Parliament decide whether to trigger the controversial Northern Ireland “backstop” as she shrugged off suggestions that the government may delay a vote on her Brexit deal to avoid a stinging defeat.

The proposal, designed to ensure there is no hard border on the island of Ireland, has sparked opposition from all sides because of concerns it would drive a wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. while leaving the country tied to the European Union indefinitely. A vote on the deal is scheduled for Tuesday. May stressed in an interview with the BBC that the backstop is an insurance policy that would only be used if the two sides can’t hammer out an agreement on future relations by the end of 2020, and that it would be up to the U.K. to decide whether to invoke the provision.