Not enough support for third vote on Brexit deal, May admits
Theresa May admitted she does not have enough support to win a vote on her EU withdrawal deal “as things stand”.
The British prime Minister said she would continue trying to get MPs to back it before putting it to the Commons for a third time this week.
May whilst making a statement in the House of Commons following last week’s EU summit added that she will also order Tory MPs to vote against a bid by a group of MPs, headed by Tory Sir Oliver Letwin, to hold votes on alternatives to her plan.
The government would give MPs time to hold such votes, but May said she was “sceptical” about the process.
And she said the government would not commit to delivering the outcome of the votes but would “engage constructively” with MPs.
DUP leader Arlene Foster told the prime minister her party had not changed its position and would not be backing the deal, in a telephone call after this morning’s cabinet meeting.
The prime minister said the “default outcome” remained leaving the EU without a deal.
“The alternative is to pursue a different form of Brexit or a second referendum,” she said.
She also confirmed that the government will seek to change the UK’s 29 March departure date through a piece of secondary legislation, which will make 11pm on 12 April the earliest Brexit date.
But she warned MPs that even if they rejected the change, it would still happen because it was contained in a piece of international law.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed that his party will back Sir Oliver Letwin’s attempt to secure “indicative votes” on Brexit, telling MPs: “It is time for Parliament to take control.”
