Theresa May under fire as British MPs seize control of Brexit

London, March 26 (PTI): British Prime Minister Theresa May was reeling on Tuesday from yet another Parliament defeat when MPs backed an amendment to seize control of Brexit by 329 to 302 votes.

In a House of Commons vote on Monday night, many of her own party MPs, including three ministers, backed the motion which called for a series of “indicative votes” to be held to find alternatives to May’s controversial European Union (EU) divorce bill, which has been rejected twice before by Parliament.

May has said she remains “sceptical” about the process as it was not guaranteed to produce a majority for any one course of action and refused to commit the government to abiding by any particular result at the end of Wednesday’s votes.

“The votes could lead to an outcome that is un-negotiable with the EU,” she told MPs.

As part of the latest Commons high-drama, MPs voted in favour of Conservative backbencher Oliver Letwin’s cross-party amendment to allow them to put forward motions relating to Brexit.

It will give them a chance to weigh up a number of options on Wednesday likely to include a so-called softer Brexit with closer alignment with the EU, a Customs Union with the EU, a second referendum on the decision leave the economic bloc and possibly even an option to revoke Article 50 and reverse Brexit altogether designed to test which formula could command a Commons majority.

Three ministers foreign affairs minister Alistair Burt, health minister Steve Brine, and business minister Richard Harrington who went against the Cabinet’s collective responsibility principle to vote for the amendment, resigned from government.

A total of 29 Tory MPs rebelled to vote for the motion, a scenario becoming all too familiar for May as her party members continue to defy government whips on parliamentary votes over Brexit.

It has inevitably intensified calls for her to step down in the face of her diminishing authority, with talk of a snap General Election also doing the rounds.

May — Not enough support for third Brexit deal vote

London, March 26 (IANS): British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday said that she does not currently have enough support to pass her withdrawal deal from the European Union (EU), the media reported.

May said she is working to convince Members of Parliament to support the agreement, which has been rejected by the House of Commons twice before.

“I continue to believe that the right path forward is for the UK to leave the EU as soon as possible with the deal now on the 22 of May,” she told Parliament.

“But it is with great regret that I have had to conclude that as things stand there is still not sufficient support in the House to bring back the deal for a third meaningful vote,” she added.

May said she wants to have a third vote on the deal this week.

“I continue to have discussions with colleagues across the House to build support so that we can bring the vote forward this week and guarantee Brexit,” she added.

She said that a proposal for MPs to hold votes on alternatives to her deal would set an “unwelcome precedent” and “overturn the balance of our democratic institution.”

She also announced that the government will seek to extend the UK’s departure date to 11 pm on April 12 with a piece of secondary legislation.

Brexit had been due to go ahead on March 29, when the negotiation period officially ended.