British PM May survives vote in Parliament

Speculation grows that prime minister could seek postponement of March 29 deadline for Brexit.

LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence in Parliament on Wednesday, but the result did little to quell the turmoil gripping the British government over her plan for leaving the European Union, coming a day after she suffered a historic defeat on the blueprint.

The House of Commons voted 325-306 to reject an opposition motion of no confidence. If successful, it almost certainly would have ousted her from power and probably would have forced a general election, adding still more layers of uncertainty in a country fast approaching the March 29 date for leaving the bloc — yet unable to agree on how to do so.

On Tuesday, Parliament dealt May a crushing defeat, voting 432-202 to reject her painstakingly negotiated agreement with Brussels for leaving the European Union, or Brexit — by far the biggest losing margin for a government on a major issue in modern times.

Yet, a day later, more than 100 lawmakers from May’s own Conservative Party who had opposed her Brexit bill voted to support her government, as did legislators from the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland who also hate May’s plan.

The head-snapping sequence of events leaves May — the leader of an intractably divided party, with a split Cabinet, no parlia- mentary majority and no clear path forward on Brexit — more politically wounded than ever, yet somehow still standing.

There is growing speculation May could seek a postponement of the March 29 deadline for Brexit, and suggestions that she will ultimately have to compromise with Labour Party lawmakers who want to keep a permanent customs union with the European bloc.

JESSICA TAYLOR / UK PARLIAMENT Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Prime Minister Theresa May was leading a “zombie government.”