What happens next?

More votes, more talks, more chaos

Theresa May has committed to holding a third meaningful vote on her Brexit deal by March 20. What MPS decide will likely dictate whether Brexit is delayed by a matter of months or for a longer period.

If Mrs May can secure a majority for her deal she will ask EU leaders at a European Council meeting on March 21 to extend Article 50 until June 30. That would give Parliament enough time to pass legislation to prepare for Brexit. However, if MPS reject the deal again a lengthy Brexit delay would be inevitable.

The Prime Minister’s plan does not specify how long the delay should be in such circumstances, but it warned that it would be “highly likely” the European Council “would require a clear purpose for any extension, not least to determine its length”. It also warned that an extension beyond June 30 would require the UK to take part in European Parliament elections in May.

Regardless of the outcome, the Prime Minister will deliver a statement on March 25 setting out what will happen next. If MPS have agreed her deal, that statement should be straightforward. If MPS have rejected her deal it is likely to be much more complicated because EU leaders may well have imposed conditions on granting an extension or even ruled one out entirely.

That would mean the UK having to choose between leaving the EU on March 29 without a deal or revoking Article 50 and remaining a member of the bloc. At that point MPS will again have an opportunity to table and vote on amendments on potential Brexit alternatives.