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UK MPs vote to reject a no-deal Brexit

MPs in Britain have voted to take a no-deal Brexit off the table - by a tiny majority. The House ...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

20.40 13 Mar 2019


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UK MPs vote to reject a no-dea...

UK MPs vote to reject a no-deal Brexit

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

20.40 13 Mar 2019


Share this article


MPs in Britain have voted to take a no-deal Brexit off the table - by a tiny majority.

The House of Commons voted on Wednesday night whether or not to reject the UK leaving the European Union without a deal in any circumstance.

It was passed by 312 votes in favour, with 308 against - a majority of just four votes.

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The vote was a free vote for members of Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party.

Speaking after the vote, Mrs May said: "These are about the choices that this house faces.

"The legal default in UK and EU remains that the UK will leave the EU without a deal unless something else is agreed.

"The onus is now on everyone of us in this house to find out what that is.

"The options before us are the same as they always have been."

"We could leave with the deal which this government has negotiated over the past two years, we could leave with the deal we have negotiated that's subject to a second referendum - but that could risk no Brexit at all, damaging the fragile trust between the British public and the members of this house.

"We could seek to negotiate a different deal, however the EU has been clear that the deal on the table is indeed the only deal available."

British Prime Minster Theresa May addresses London's House of Commons

MPs are now set to vote on Thursday whether to extend the Brexit process.

A motion to be put forward by Mrs May on Thursday will propose delaying Brexit until June 30th.

On the vote to extend the Brexit process, she said: "Let me be clear: such a short, technical extension is only likely or be on offer if we have a deal in place.

"Therefore the house has to understand and accept that if it is not willing to support a deal in the coming days, and as it is not willing to support leaving without a deal on the 29th of March, then it is suggesting that there would need to be a much longer extension to Article 50".

"Such an extension would undoubtedly require the United Kingdom to hold European Parliament elections in May 2019.

"I do not think that would be the right outcome.

"But the house needs to face up to the consequences of the decisions that it has taken".

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told MPs a delay to Brexit is now "inevitable", adding: "Parliament must now take control of the situation."

It comes 24-hours after the British government was defeated in a crucial vote on its withdrawal deal.

The revised deal was voted down on Tuesday by 391 votes to 242 in favour - a majority of 149.

Speaking after that vote, Mrs May said: "I profoundly regret the decision that this house has taken tonight.

"I continue to believe that by far the best outcome is that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union in an orderly fashion with a deal - and that the deal we've negotiated is the best and indeed the only deal available."


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