Jeevan A. Robinson - MNI Media
Friday, March 29, 2019
In what has been yet another day of high drama inside of Westminster, UK MPs once again voted No to Prime Minister Theresa May’s BREXIT deal by 344 votes to 286. A defeat by a margin of 58 votes.
What now for BREXIT, is the question on everyone's lips, as this vote further puts BREXIT into a quandary.
Following the defeat, PM May has stated that this vote would have "grave consequences" and she has also stated that the "legal default" was that the UK would leave the European Union April 12th, 2019.
Some Conservative party backbenchers who had at first rejected May's deal are reported to have switched sides during this last vote, but those were not enough to secure PM May the victory she so desperately needed.
According to a report in the UK's Guardian, "Labour was unwilling to change its position, and the Democratic Unionist party’s 10 MPs were also determined not to support May's agreement."
Opposition Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for Prime Minister May to step down, which could potentially trigger a general election.
Corbyn is on record as having accused PM May of offering Britain a “half-baked Brexit” towards which Corbyn stated Labour could not support.
Under the deal that was being voted on, Brexit was to be delayed until May 22nd if PM May could have won Parliament’s backing for the withdrawal agreement that she agreed with Brussels.
Now PM May will have to return to Brussels before April 12th to beg for a longer delay. This may require Britain to hold European elections in May, or accept a no-deal Brexit.
Many are of the view that a second referendum should be held - a people's vote. Whilst many are also against this, as they see the process as having already taken place, and the UK's people voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU - a result which PM herself has stated she wishes to see through before she steps down.
