May suffers Brexit strategy defeat

Vote against a motion reiterating support for the prime minister’s approach was an embarrassing blow.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered an embarrassing defeat by lawmakers Thursday in a vote that left her bid to secure a European Union divorce deal stuck between an intransigent EU and a resistant U.K. Parliament — with Brexit just six weeks away.

A rebellion by hardcore Brexit backers saw the House of Commons vote 303 to 258 against a motion reiterating support for May’s approach to Brexit — support expressed by lawmakers in votes just two weeks ago.

The defeat is symbolic rather than binding, but shows how weak May’s hand is as she tries to secure changes to her divorce deal from the EU in order to win backing for it in Parliament. It is likely to leave EU leaders wondering whether May can win support for any kind of Brexit deal, given Britain’s political instability.

May tried to put a positive spin on the result. The prime minister’s office said that “while we didn’t secure the support of the Commons this evening,” the government believed Parliament still wanted May to seek changes to the Brexit deal that lawmakers could support.

“The government will continue to pursue this with the EU to ensure we leave on time on 29th March,” it said.

Others were more blunt. “What an absolute fiasco this is,” said pro-EU Conservative lawmaker Anna Soubry. A leading pro-Brexit colleague, Bernard Jenkin, used the same word: fiasco.

The vote is the latest outbreak of Brexit-driven chaos that is roiling Britain’s Parliament and imperiling Britain’s orderly exit from the EU.

Two weeks ago, Parliament sent a contradictory message, voting to send May back to Brussels to seek changes to a section of the withdrawal agreement intended to ensure an open border between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland after Brexit.

But lawmakers also voted to rule out a “no-deal” exit, though without signaling how that should happen.

Lawmakers intent on averting a “no-deal” Brexit are gathering their strength to make a push in a new series of votes on Feb. 27 to force the government’s hand.

By then, Brexit will be only a month away.