UK Prime Minister Theresa May on a plane to Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit between EU leaders and Arab League countries has ruled out that the Parliament could hold a vote on her Brexit deal within next few days. She has, however, vowed that the vote will take place by 12 March.
"My team will be back in Brussels on Tuesday [February 26]. As a result of that, we won't bring a meaningful vote to parliament this week, but we will ensure that that happens by 12 of March. But it’s still within our grasp to leave the EU by the 29th of March and that is what we are planning to do", May was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
Reacting to Theresa May's announcement about the vote on her Brexit deal being delayed, Labour's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer called it "the height of irresponsibility".
"Theresa May is recklessly running down the clock in a desperate attempt to force MPs to choose between her deal and no deal", he stated. "Parliament cannot stand by and allow this happen".
While Britain is set to leave the EU on 29 March, more and more lawmakers in Westminster are calling for a "no-deal" Brexit, citing the EU's alleged lack of flexibility on striking a mutually-satisfying agreement. The EU, for its part, has been concerned with other member states possibly demanding a greater say within the bloc's governance architecture after Brexit.
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At the same time, May is running out of time to secure the support of the exit terms in parliament, where a majority of lawmakers have categorically refused to accept the controversial Irish border backstop provision and want May to come up with "alternative arrangements".
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In mid-February, the prime minister promised that the government would make a statement in parliament on February 26 if no significant progress is made in talks with the European Union, and if the lawmakers do not approve the deal by then.
Brussels, however, has repeatedly stated the bloc's reluctance to renegotiate the deal that was agreed on after months of intense talks.
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