May asks MPs to hold their nerve on Brexit talks

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday urged lawmakers to stand firm as Brexit negotiations with the European Union ostensibly enter the final stages with the government's ambitious plan to secure last-minute legal changes to the withdrawal agreement.

Speaking in the House of Commons, May said she had a "mandate" to seek changes to the backstop as MPs had voted for it. "We now need some time to complete that process", she added.

With negotiations over possible changes to the Irish border backstop at a key stage, Parliament needed to hold its nerve, the Prime Minister said, adding that a Brexit motion to be debated on Thursday would reiterate those intentions, the Guardian reported.

If no agreement is reached by February 26, then MPs will get more non-binding votes on Brexit options the following day. The final vote on whether the UK leaves the EU on March 29 with a deal would be pushed back into March.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn accused May of "recklessly running down the clock" in an effort to "blackmail" MPs into backing her deal and asked when MPs would get a final, "meaningful" vote.