Britain’s May suffers parliament defeat as Brexit debate resumes

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered an early defeat to her Brexit plans on Wednesday when parliament demanded the government come up with a plan-B within days if she loses a vote on her deal to leave the European Union. With less than three months before Britain is due to quit the EU, parliament began a five-day battle over May’s Brexit plan with a show of force – undermining her preferred timetable if lawmakers vote down her blueprint next Tuesday.

May has so far refused to retreat from her unpopular deal, which envisages close trading ties with the EU, but without any say on policy as Britain has now, after leaving in March. Instead, she has pressed ahead with a vote she looks set to lose after failing to win over her nominal Northern Irish allies.

Losing the vote would deepen the uncertainty over the future of Brexit, Britain’s biggest shift in foreign and trade policy for more than 40 years, and open the way for several different outcomes, ranging from a disorderly exit to another referendum. Lawmakers voted 308-297 on Wednesday in favour of demanding the government come up with an alternative plan within three working days after the Jan. 15 vote, rather than a planned 21-day limit.

There were turbulent scenes in parliament when some in May’s Conservative Party accused the speaker of bias. Responding to the vote, Brexit minister Stephen Barclay told parliament it was the government’s intention to act quickly if May’s Brexit plan was rejected on Tuesday.