No support for Brexit deal: May
LONDON: Faced with continuing opposition from pro as well as anti-Brexit forces, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday admitted that there wasn’t enough support to ensure that the withdrawal agreement is passed, if introduced for the third time in parliament.
Informing the House of Commons on last week’s decision of the European Council to extend the Brexit date to either April 12 or May 22, depending on whether or not the agreement gets parliamentary approval, she said “there is still not sufficient support” to bring it back.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said her Brexit approach had become a “national embarrassment”, reiterating the demand for a second referendum.
May told the House, “I want to explain the options as I understand them. The default outcome continues to be to leave with no-deal. But this House has previously expressed its opposition to that path and may do so again.”
She added, “The alternative is to pursue a different form of Brexit or a second referendum. The bottom line remains - if the House doesn’t approve the withdrawal agreement this week, and is not prepared to countenance leaving without a deal, we will have to seek a longer extension.”
The longer extension, she added, would entail the UK holding elections to the European parliament on May 23.
May confirmed that the government will seek to change the March 29 departure date through a piece of secondary legislation, which will make 11pm on April 12 the earliest Brexit date.