UK PM heads off defeat over Brexit

Members of Parliament who held the fate of Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May in their hands on Tuesday during a tense series of Brexit votes in the House of Commons warned May on Wednesday to honor her side of a bargain.

Britain’s elected lawmakers voted on potential amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill. The amendments had been recommended by Britain’s unelected second chamber — the House of Lords.

Before the vote, May said the amendments, if approved by Parliament, would have greatly weakened her negotiating position with the European Union and she called for loyalty from pro-EU MPs in her own Conservative Party who had threatened to revolt and support the EU-friendly amendments.

Xinhua News Agency said the last-ditch talks, reportedly between May and 14 potential Tory rebels, ensured the prime minister won, albeit by a slim margin.

Parliament ended up rejecting an amendment that would have given MPs the power to change the departure date, from the previously agreed March 29, 2019.

And they also nixed an amendment that called for Parliament to have a “meaningful vote” on any final deal with Brussels.

The Guardian newspaper said May offered concessions, although are sketchy.

And the BBC reported on Wednesday that one of the potential rebels, the MP Dominic Grieve, was warning that there would be consequences for the government if it did not honor the pledges he says it made. the details

No concrete concessions

However, the BBC said sources within the government were insisting no concrete concessions had been promised.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland said after the votes that the government had only agreed to “further discussions” about the way in which it could make “a further step forward”, the corporation said.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, a leading Brexit supporter, said if concessions had indeed been offered, they could “come back to haunt” the government.

The Reuters, meanwhile, reported that the European business federation Business Europe had called on Britain to maintain as many EU regulations as possible after it leaves the EU, in order to limit disruptions to trade.

“Regulatory alignment between the EU and the UK is of utmost importance to preserving value chains and avoiding non-tariff barriers to trade,” said the group, which includes the Confederation of British Industry.

The organization said Britain must avoid the so-called “cliff edge” that would follow Britain leaving the trading bloc without a deal in place.