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UK Lawmakers Overwhelmingly Back Brexit Delay, Rule Out Second Referendum

© AP Photo / Tim IrelandAn anti-Brexit pro-remain supporter shouts out during a gathering outside the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 12, 2019.
An anti-Brexit pro-remain supporter shouts out during a gathering outside the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 12, 2019. - Sputnik International
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With slightly over two weeks left before the United Kingdom is scheduled to exit the EU on 29 March, British lawmakers are struggling to agree on a withdrawal plan, with parliamentarians voting on Thursday whether to ask Brussels to delay the departure.

The UK House of Commons has backed Theresa May’s government's motion to delay the Brexit date after  29 March in a 412 to 202 vote.

The motion sets out two options for the extension – a short delay that stipulates that a new Brexit deal will be approved of by parliament by 20 March or a longer delay if no agreement is reached by that date.

Theresa May's divorce bill with the EU has been voted down twice.  In case the deal is rejected for the third time, a much longer delay may come.

Now the EU27 has to agree upon the details of the delay. 

'No' to Second Brexit Vote

This comes shortly after the MPs have overwhelmingly — by 334 votes to 85 — rejected a second referendum on leaving the European Union.

Thursday's vote does not prevent MPs from trying again to push for a second Brexit referendum.

Britain's Parliament is holding a series of votes on whether to delay the UK's departure from the 28-nation bloc, currently scheduled for 29 March.    

Labour MP Lucy Powell then moved an amendment which would allow MPs to take control of the parliamentary business on 20 March but must conclude negotiation of the Brexit process by 30 June, but it was defeated.

MPs then voted by 318 to 302 to defeat an amendment brought by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

His amendment rejected the prime minister's deal, rejected no-deal, sought an extension of Article 50 to avoid no-deal on 29 March and sought an extension of Article 50 "to provide parliamentary time for this House to find a majority for a different approach".

On Wednesday, 13 March, Caroline Spelman's amendment simply said, in no uncertain terms, that parliamentarians would commit themselves to avoiding a no-deal Brexit by passing some kind of agreement with Brussels for what a post-Brexit relationship will look like before the UK leaves the EU.

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