British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday held crisis talks with her ministers to try to resolve a months-long Brexit deadlock, as the EU warned of the growing risk of disorderly departure from the bloc next week.
May gathered her divided Cabinet to try to agree on the next steps after lawmakers failed for a second time on Monday night to agree to an alternative to her unpopular withdrawal deal.
Brussels has given Britain up to Friday next week to pass the divorce deal, settle on an alternative or crash out of the EU, risking huge economic disruption.
Photo: AFP
In reality, the deadline is nearer as the EU has called an emergency leaders summit for Wednesday next week.
May’s deal has been rejected by the British House of Commons three times, but she says their failure to agree on anything else means it is the only option, and could bring it back for a fourth vote this week.
European Chief Negotiator for the UK Exiting the EU Michel Barnier said an orderly exit was still possible, but was becoming less likely.
“If the UK still wants to leave the EU in an orderly manner, this agreement, this treaty is and will be the only one,” he told a think tank in Brussels.
“No deal was never my intended scenario, but the EU 27 is now prepared. It becomes day after day more likely,” he said.
May’s deal aims to smooth Britain’s EU exit by settling its financial affairs, guaranteeing the rights of expatriate citizens and setting up a transition period until 2022 at the latest in which new trading terms could be agreed on between London and Brussels.
However, its proposals to maintain an open border with Ireland by keeping Britain temporarily in a customs union with the EU are strongly opposed by many British lawmakers.
Fearful that her refusal to change course is putting Britain at risk of a “no-deal” exit, pro-European lawmakers last week seized the initiative by holding a round of votes on eight alternative options.
After failing to agree on any of them, they refined them down to four choices on Monday night — but once again, there was no majority for any of them.
However, the architects of that strategy have refused to give up and unveiled a fresh plan to introduce legislation tomorrow that could force May to delay Brexit.
Conservative former minister Oliver Letwin conceded that it would be difficult to get through both Houses of Parliament, but he and coauthor Yvette Cooper, a Labour MP, said it was worth trying.
“Whatever agreement the government or parliament does or doesn’t reach over the next few days, the UK will need more time after 12 April if it is to avoid no deal at that point,” they said in a statement.
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