LONDON, March 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Theresa May has told MPs that a third vote on her Brexit deal may not take place next week “if it appears there is not sufficient support”.
It comes after European Council President Donald Tusk said Brexit’s fate was “in Britain’s hands”.
EU leaders have agreed to delay the departure date by at least two weeks.
If MPs approve the PM’s deal next week, Brexit would be delayed from 29 March until 22 May. Otherwise the UK has until 12 April to propose a new plan.
In a letter to all MPs on Friday evening, May said: “If it appears that there is not sufficient support to bring the deal back next week, or the House (of Commons) rejects it again, we can ask for another extension before 12 April – but that will involve holding European Parliament elections.”
That was one of four “clear choices” she outlined, along with revoking Article 50 which she says would “betray the result of the referendum”, leaving with no deal, or getting her deal approved next week.
The final option relies on Commons Speaker John Bercow allowing her to bring the deal back after he previously ruled that another vote couldn’t be held without “substantial” changes to the deal.
She offered to talk to MPs over the coming days “as Parliament prepares to take momentous decisions”.
May also referred to her televised address on Wednesday, in which she blamed the delay to Brexit on MPs.
She acknowledged that “a number of colleagues had raised concerns” about her words and it had not been her intention to make their “difficult job… any more difficult”.
In the letter, May confirmed that the government would change the law to alter the UK’s departure date from the EU next week. — NNN-AGENCIES
