After Brexit Deal Defeat, May’s Govt Survives No-Confidence Vote
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal had been defeated with 432 ‘No’ votes to 202 ‘Yes’.
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government on Wednesday, 16 January, narrowly won a no-confidence vote in the Parliament, but still faces a battle to keep control of Brexit.
This comes a day after Parliament rejected her Brexit deal by a historic margin. Although the Brexit defeat was widely expected, the scale of the rout — 432 to 202 — was devastating for May’s leadership.
- After winning the no-confidence vote, May promised to hold talks with Opposition leaders in a bid to find a way forward for Brexit
- The Brexit deal defeat has left May’s leadership wobbling and the government with just a few days, until 21 January, to come up with ‘Plan B’
- Unless a deal is ratified, Britain is set for a disorderly exit from the bloc on 29 March, with potentially tumultuous economic and social consequences
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UK Lawmakers Prepare to Deliver Verdict on EU Divorce Deal
British lawmakers are preparing to deliver their verdict on Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal with the European Union after two years of political upheaval.
Just 10 weeks before Britain is due to leave the EU, lawmakers vote late Tuesday, 15 January, on whether to accept the plan or risk leaving without an agreement on future relations with the bloc.
May's deal faces widespread opposition, primarily because of language designed to prevent the reintroduction of border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which some fear will indefinitely tie Britain to the EU.
Former education minister Nicky Morgan warned that the UK wasn't ready for a no-deal Brexit, telling the BBC that "there are millions of people in this country watching Westminster and Parliament very anxiously today."
(With inputs from PTI, AFP and AP.)
If UK Parliament Rejects May's Brexit Deal, What's Plan B?
British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit divorce deal may not be, as one opposition lawmaker called it, "as dead as the deadest dodo," but it is definitely ailing.
It looks very likely that Britain's Parliament will reject the agreement in a vote scheduled for Tuesday. If that happens, May has until the start of next week to come back to Parliament with a Plan B — and Britain has just 10 weeks until it is due to leave the bloc, with or without a deal, on 29 March.
Here's a look at what might happen if lawmakers vote down the deal.
A Look at Timings for Britain's Crucial Brexit Vote
A look at how Tuesday's events are expected to unfold, with approximate timings.
0930 GMT: The Cabinet gathers in Downing Street for its regular Tuesday morning meeting, with the focus on Brexit. It is likely to last for several hours.
1250 GMT: Attorney General Geoffrey Cox opens final day of debate on May's deal in the House of Commons.
1830 GMT: May closes the debate.
1900 GMT: Voting set to begin, starting with amendments and culminating in the vote on the withdrawal agreement.
May is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons after the result is known.
Theresa May Tells MPs They Have 'Duty to Deliver' on Brexit Vote
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday urged MPs to vote in favour of the Brexit deal she has struck with the EU, telling them they had a duty to deliver on the 2016 referendum result, reported AFP.
"I believe we have a duty to deliver on the democratic decision of the British people," she said, warning MPs that the EU would not offer any "alternative deal".
UK Lawmakers Begin Main Vote on Brexit Deal
UK lawmakers have begun the main vote on whether to approve PM Theresa May’s Brexit deal, reported Reuters.
British PM Theresa May’s Brexit Deal Defeated
British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal has been defeated.
The House of Commons voted 432 -202 on Tuesday against the deal struck between Britain's government and the EU in November.
Theresa May to Face Vote of No-Confidence on Wednesday
British PM Theresa May will face a vote of no-confidence on Wednesday, following the vote in Parliament on the Brexit deal.
May said the government needed to know if it still had the support of the House of Commons. May said lawmakers would consider the no-confidence motion on Wednesday.
Her statement pre-empted a call for a confidence vote by Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Corbyn urged lawmakers to defeat the government and trigger a national election. He submitted the motion saying the government had suffered a “catastrophic” defeat.
EU's Tusk Urges Brexit Rethink as Deal Rejected
European Council President Donald Tusk urged British leaders to rethink their Brexit strategy on Tuesday, 15 January, after UK Parliament rejected the planned withdrawal agreement.
Urge UK to Clarify its Intentions: Jean-Claude Juncker
The EU and European governments warned that the British Parliament's rejection of a Brexit deal heightened the risk of a disorderly withdrawal from the bloc.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, “I urge the United Kingdom to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up.”
“The Withdrawal Agreement is a fair compromise and the best possible deal. It reduces the damage caused by Brexit for citizens and businesses across Europe. It is the only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union,” Juncker added.
'Humiliated': British Press Says May 'Crushed' by Defeat
Prime Minister Theresa May was left “crushed” and “humiliated”, Britain’s newspapers said as they analysed the fallout of Parliament's overwhelming rejection of the PM's Brexit deal.
May Faces Vote of No Confidence
The vote of no confidence, called by the main Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, will be held at 19:00 GMT (12:30 am IST, 17 January).
If lawmakers vote against May, the government has 14 days to regain the confidence of Parliament's lower House of Commons. If it cannot, then theoretically, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could try to build a coalition with other Opposition parties to take office.
France to Accelerate Preparations For No-Deal Brexit: Sources
According to presidential source, France is set to accelerate preparations for no-deal Brexit.
(Source: AFP)
EU Ready to Discuss New Brexit Deal If UK Changes "Red Lines"
The European Union told Britain it could have a different kind of Brexit deal after its Parliament overwhelmingly rejected the one negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May — but only if London changes its key demands.
Addressing the European Parliament on Wednesday, EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier defended the agreement struck with May that was crushed the previous evening by an alliance of British lawmakers on opposing sides of the Brexit divide and warned that the risk of a disorderly withdrawal was now greater than ever.
We Still Have Time to Negotiate: Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says there’s still time for negotiations between the European Union and Britain over its departure from the bloc.
Merkel says that she regretted the decision by British lawmakers to oppose the agreement negotiated by British Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU.
She told reporters in Berlin that “We will of course do everything to find an orderly solution, but we are also prepared if there is no orderly solution.”
Merkel said “We still have time to negotiate, but we are now waiting to see what the British prime minister proposes.”
(Source: AP)
Protests Erupt Outside UK Parliament After May's Plan Voted Down
Protesters gathered outside the UK Parliament as the House of Commons votes down Theresa May's Brexit plan.
(Source: AFP)
Markets See Lower No-Deal Brexit Risk: Bank of England's Carney
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said sterling’s rise after Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan was defeated in Parliament suggested investors felt the risk of a no-deal Brexit had diminished, or that the process would be extended.
“I’m not giving my view, I’m giving the markets’ initial take,” Carney told lawmakers in Parliament on Wednesday during a regular hearing.
“I wouldn’t put much weight on these very short term-moves. The market is waiting.”
Search on for Brexit Consensus After May's Crushing Defeat
Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday, 16 January, will try to forge consensus in Parliament on a Brexit divorce agreement after the crushing defeat of her own deal left Britain’s exit from the European Union in disarray 10 weeks before it is due to leave, as reported by Reuters.
The day after her parliamentary loss by the worst margin for a British government in modern times, May was widely expected to hold on to power through a confidence vote, having secured the backing of her own party’s rebels and its Northern Irish allies.
The confidence motion, called by Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn after lawmakers rejected May’s Brexit deal by 432-202, will be held at 1900 GMT.
David Cameron Does Not Regret Calling Referendum
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron tells BBC that he does not regret calling the referendum. He says he stands by his decision to hold the vote on leaving the EU.
May Takes Questions During PMQ
UK Prime Minister Theresa May takes questions during PMQs after Parliament voted against her Brexit deal.
Russia Says Not 'Gloating' over Brexit Vote
Russia on Wednesday denied it was rubbing its hands or gloating after Britain's Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's deal on leaving the European Union.
On Tuesday, British MPs voted massively against the withdrawal agreement signed by May and EU leaders, raising fears of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit.
Speaking in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted his country did not want to interfere in Britain's affairs and said Russia was prepared to deal with any scenario.
Labour Calls on May to Try a Brexit Compromise to Get Deal Passed
Prime Minister Theresa May could eventually get a Brexit deal through Parliament if she negotiated a compromise with the Opposition Labour Party, the second most powerful man in the party told Reuters on Wednesday.
May’s Brexit deal suffered a crushing defeat in Parliament on Tuesday, triggering political chaos that could lead to a disorderly exit from the EU, a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave or a compromise deal of some sort.
The Labour Party’s finance policy chief, John McDonnell, said Labour would support May if she agreed to stay in a permanent customs union with the EU, a close relationship with its single market and greater protection for workers and consumers.
UK Headed for Brexit Delay and Second Referendum: Farage
Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said on Wednesday he thought Britain was heading for a delay to its scheduled 29 March exit from the European Union and probably would hold a fresh referendum on the country’s membership of the EU.
Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a resounding defeat on her Brexit plan in Parliament on Tuesday.
“I think and I fear that we are headed on a path towards delay and probably, yes, a second vote,” Farage, who pushed for the Brexit referendum of 2016 as leader of the UK Independence Party, told Sky News television.
May Faces Stark Choices
PM Theresa May is facing stark choices: Steer the country toward an abrupt break from the EU without a deal on their future relations, or try to nudge it toward a softer departure. Meanwhile, British lawmakers from all parties are trying to wrest control of the Brexit process from a paralyzed Conservative government, so that lawmakers can direct planning for Britain’s departure from the EU.
But with no clear majority in Parliament for any single alternative on Brexit, there’s a growing chance that Britain may seek to postpone its departure date while politicians work on a new plan — or even hand the decision back to voters in a new referendum on Britain’s EU membership.
Political analyst Anand Menon, from UK in a Changing Europe, said history is being made week after week in the Brexit saga, with the government being held in contempt even as May soldiers on.
UK's Labour Calls on May to Try a Brexit Compromise to Get Deal Passed
Prime Minister Theresa May could eventually get a Brexit deal through Parliament if she negotiated a compromise with the Opposition Labour Party, the second most powerful man in the party told Reuters on Wednesday.
May’s Brexit deal suffered a crushing defeat in Parliament on Tuesday, triggering political chaos that could lead to a disorderly exit from the EU, a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave or a compromise deal of some sort.
The Labour Party’s Finance Policy Chief, John McDonnell, said Labour would support May if she agreed to stay in a permanent customs union with the EU, a close relationship with its single market and greater protections for workers and consumers.
We Are Leaving the EU on 29 March: Theresa May
Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday that Britain will be leaving the European Union on 29 March, and that the bloc would only consider extending the ‘Article 50’ negotiating period if there was a credible alternative exit plan.
“The government’s policy is that we are leaving the European Union on the 29th of March. But the EU would only extend Article 50 if actually it was clear that there was a plan that was moving towards an agreed deal,” she told Parliament, a day after her proposed Brexit deal was rejected by a large margin.
Theresa May Wins No-Confidence Vote, But is Still Beset by Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday to remain in office – but saw more of her power ebb away as she battled to keep Brexit on track after lawmakers demolished her European Union divorce deal.
May won a narrow victory, 325 votes to 306 votes, on an Opposition motion seeking to topple her government and trigger a general election.
Now it's back to Brexit, where May is caught between the rock of her own red lines and the hard place of a Parliament that wants to force a radical change of course.
After winning the vote, May promised to hold talks with leaders of opposition parties and other lawmakers, starting immediately, in a bid to find a way forward for Britain's EU exit.
(AP)
May Calls for Politicians to 'Put Self Interests Aside' After Winning Confidence Vote
British Prime Minister Theresa May says she has started meeting leaders of opposition parties about Brexit and called for politicians to "put self-interest aside" and find a consensus on Britain's path out of the European Union.
May spoke outside her 10 Downing St. residence after her government narrowly won a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday evening.
She has been meeting with leaders from rival political parties in a bid to break Britain's political impasse over Brexit. On Tuesday, lawmakers resoundingly rejected the divorce deal May's government struck with the EU; the prime minister has until the start of next week to come back to Parliament with a Plan B.
May said she was disappointed the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, had so far refused to meet her. She said her "door remains open."