MPs mull Article 50 extension, May wants third vote on her deal
As parliament prepared to vote for a delay to the Brexit deadline on Thursday, Prime Minister Theresa May called for a third vote on her Brexit deal, despite losing the first two by overwhelming majorities.
MPs voted down the prime minister's Withdrawal Agreement on Tuesday evening for the second time, by 149 votes. They then voted on Wednesday night to reject a no-deal Brexit under circumstances by a majority of 43, with a number of Conservative MPs defying the government whip. The vote is not legally binding, however.
The next vote, scheduled for no later than 1700 GMT on Thursday, will be on whether the UK should seek a temporary extension to Article 50, with the wording of the government's motion setting next Wednesday, 20 March, as the deadline for MPs to pass a Brexit deal.
May had initially said that any extension, which the European Union has yet to agree, would only be short.
But overnight she warned MPs that a longer extension would be needed if her deal was not backed, and that could require the UK to take part in elections for the European Parliament in May.
She said: “I do not think that would be the right outcome. But the House needs to face up to the consequences of the decisions it has taken.”
CALLS FOR CONSENSUS
The president of the European council, Donald Tusk, has responded positively to the prospect of lengthy extension, however. He tweeted on Thursday: “I will appeal to the EU27 to be open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around a new approach.”
Other senior politicians have already called on the House to find cross-party consensus on Brexit, with pressure growing for senior MPs to come together to find an alternative exit plan.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said MPs had “a solemn duty in the days ahead to put aside our differences and seek a compromise”, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he wanted to meet with MPs from across the House to “find a compromise solution”, arguing that “Parliament must now take control”.
May has not said when the third vote on the Withdrawal Agreement, which was agreed with Brussels late last year, will happen.