Plans in chaos
British Prime Minister Theresa May is reportedly delaying the parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal in a move that is expected to sink her government.
LONDON: The British government’s Brexit plans were thrown into chaos, with Prime Minister Theresa May making an emergency statement to lawmakers amid signs she would postpone a Parliamentary vote that will decide the fate of her divorce deal with the European Union.
The House of Commons Speaker’s office said May would make the previously unscheduled statement to lawmakers. The announcement came as May held talks with her Cabinet about the next steps in the Brexit process.
Lawmakers are due to vote today on the Brexit deal, and all signs have pointed to a big defeat for the prime minister – a result that could sink May’s deal, her leadership, or both.
May’s office insisted yesterday that the vote would definitely be held, but the BBC and other outlets reported it would be postponed.
An updated House of Commons business statement said there would be a statement on “business of the House” after May’s address, indicating a sudden change to the parliamentary schedule.
May’s Conservative government does not have a majority in the House of Commons, and opposition parties – as well as dozens of Conservative lawmakers – say they will not back the divorce deal that May and EU leaders agreed last month.
Pro-Brexit lawmakers say the deal keeps Britain bound too closely to the EU, while pro-EU politicians say it erects barriers between the UK and its biggest trading partner and leaves many details of the future relationship undecided.
The main sticking point is a “backstop” provision that aims to guarantee an open border between EU member Ireland and the UK’s Northern Ireland post-Brexit.
The measure would keep Britain under EU customs rules, and is supposed to last until superseded by permanent new trade arrangements. Critics say it could leave Britain tied to the EU indefinitely, unable to strike new trade deals around the world.
Postponing the vote could give May more time to seek concessions from the EU – even though both May and the bloc insist that the Brexit withdrawal agreement can’t be changed.
“Of course we can improve this deal, and the prime minister is seeking to improve this deal,” Gove said.
But, he warned, “by reopening it, there is a risk that we may not necessarily get everything that we wish for.”
In another twist in the Brexit tale, the European Union’s top court ruled yesterday that Britain can change its mind over Brexit, boosting the hopes of people who want to stay in the EU that the process can be reversed.
The European Court of Justice ruled that when an EU member country has notified its intent to leave, “that member state is free to revoke unilaterally that notification.”