EU intervenes on Brexit deal on eve of UK vote

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday published further assurances from the EU on the eve of a crucial parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal, and warned MPs that rejecting it would lead to “paralysis” that could see Britain stay in the bloc.

European Commission President Jean- Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk repeated in a letter that they would not reopen the divorce deal, but said they could offer clarifications with “legal value” on a controversial clause on Ireland.

In a speech shortly afterwards in Stoke, a Brexit-backing city in central England, May admitted their offer fell short of what she wanted.

But she said: “I’m convinced that MPs now have the clearest assurances that this is the best deal possible and is worthy of their support.”

May had promised clarifications on the so- called Irish backstop arrangement when she postponed a vote on the agreement in December, facing certain defeat in the House of Commons.

But as MPs prepare to finally cast their judgement on Tuesday evening, large numbers of her own Conservative MPs and her Northern Irish allies are still strongly opposed.

Anti- Brexit MPs have now stepped up efforts to tie the government’s hands in parliament in a bid to avoid the damaging prospect of Britain leaving the EU on March 29 with no deal at all.

M ay repeated that the only way to avoid “no deal” was to support her agreement, saying that “if no deal is as bad as you believe it is, it will be the height of recklessness to do anything else”.

But with growing calls to delay Brexit or call a second referendum to resolve the issue, she said: “It’s now my judgment that a more likely outcome is a paralysis in parliament that risks there being no Brexit.”