'Brexit in peril' as PM May faces heavy defeat

[webfact]

'Brexit in peril' as PM May faces heavy defeat

By William James and Guy Faulconbridge

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech during her visit in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Britain March 8, 2019. Christopher Furlong/Pool via REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Brexit could be reversed if lawmakers reject the government's exit deal, British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Sunday after two major eurosceptic factions in parliament warned that Prime Minister Theresa May was facing a heavy defeat.

 

Just 19 days before the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May is scrambling - so far unsuccessfully - to secure last-minute changes to an EU exit treaty before parliament votes on Tuesday on whether to approve the deal.

 

If she fails, lawmakers are expected to force May to seek a delay to Brexit which some say could see the 2016 decision to leave the bloc reversed. Others argue that, without a delay, Britain faces an economic shock if it leaves without a deal.

 

"We have an opportunity now to leave on March 29 or shortly thereafter and it's important we grasp that opportunity because there is wind in the sails of people trying to stop Brexit," Hunt told the BBC. "We are in very perilous waters."

 

The United Kingdom’s labyrinthine crisis over EU membership is approaching its finale with an extraordinary array of options including a delay, a last-minute deal, no-deal Brexit, a snap election or even another referendum.

 

The ultimate outcome remains unclear, though most diplomats and investors say Brexitwill define the United Kingdom's prosperity for generations to come.

 

The government has previously tried to use the risk of Brexit being reversed as a way to convince eurosceptics to back May's deal despite their deep reservations about it.

 

"If you want to stop Brexit you only need to do three things: kill this deal, get an extension, and then have a second referendum. Within three weeks, those people could have two of those three things ... and quite possibly the third one could be on the way."

 

Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which props up May's minority government, and Steve Baker, a leading figure in the large eurosceptic faction of her Conservative party, warned "the political situation is grim".

 

"An unchanged withdrawal agreement will be defeated firmly by a sizeable proportion of Conservatives and the DUP if it is again presented to the Commons," they wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

 

The opposition Labour Party's Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, said his party should support staying in the EU if there was a second referendum.

However, he said the party would not be seeking to secure support in parliament for a second referendum on Tuesday.

 

The Sunday Times said May was battling to save her job as aides were considering persuading her to offer to resign in a bid to get the deal approved. The newspaper also said cabinet ministers had spoken about whether to insist she goes as early as this week.

 

"TOTAL UNCERTAINTY"

Parliament rejected May's deal by 230 votes on Jan. 15, prompting her to return to Brussels in search of changes to address the so-called Irish backstop - an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

 

Many British lawmakers object to the policy on the grounds that it could leave Britain subject to EU rules indefinitely and cleave Northern Ireland away from the rest of the country.

 

But May's attempts to get the clause rewritten have so far failed to yield any result.

 

Hunt said Tuesday's vote would definitely go ahead, and that it was too soon to say that negotiations with the EU had "run into the sands". He said realism and a lot of work was needed from both Britain and the EU to get a deal.

 

If lawmakers reject May's deal on Tuesday, she has promised to let them vote the next day on whether to leave without a deal on March 29. If they reject that, then on Thursday they are due to vote on a "limited" delay.

 

France's EU affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau told France Inter radio that she did not see any value in extending the window for talks.

 

"More time, to do what? We've had two years ... If there's nothing new, more time will not do anything other than usher in more uncertainty, and uncertainty just creates anxiety," Loiseau said. "It's not time that we need, but a decision."

 

Amid the political chaos, many company chiefs are aghast at London’s handling of Brexitand say it has already damaged Britain’s reputation as Europe’s pre-eminent destination for foreign investment.

 

"Business is holding its breath ahead of the votes in parliament this week, knowing that ifBrexit has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected," said James Stewart, head ofBrexit at KPMG UK.

 

"Companies are now split on whether an extension to the Brexit timeline is a good thing. Some of those who prepared early are locked into March specific contingency plans. Those carrying additional inventory know an extension will squeeze their cashflow for longer."

 

(Writing by William James and Guy Faulconbridge; additional reporting by Sarah White in Paris; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-11

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, vinniekintana said:

All by design imo. 

Don't think so. Conspiracies require nous, clarity of vision, secrecy, and determined action.

 

When in doubt between conspiracy & stuffup, go for the stuffup.

[SOTIRIOS]

....democracy.....???

 

...I see a whole population being held hostage....

 

...only for the biggest connivers to profit at the end....

 

...shameful.....

 

...a disgrace....

 

...another crime against humanity....

 

 

 

[tebee]

it's a mess,...

 

...but then everything about brexit is a mess.

[nabbie]

3 minutes ago, tebee said:

it's a mess,...

 

...but then everything about brexit is a mess.

Perfect time to spring-cleaning a Brexit mess.....

[Loiner]

May’s surrender agreement looks like it will be kicked out.
No Deal will probably be voted against too. How can they reconcile that with the 29th March date already legislated for?
A short extension to Article 50 would not achieve anything, plus would not easily be agreed by the other 27 EU members. A long extension would have Parliament playing with fire.
So, 18 days and we’re out. Free at last.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Chomper Higgot]

Brexiteers, failed to plan, planned to fail.

 

Heads scratched, ‘how did we get here’?

 

Answer: It’s somebody else’s fault.

[welovesundaysatspace]

4 minutes ago, Loiner said:

May’s surrender agreement looks like it will be kicked out.
No Deal will probably be voted against too. How can they reconcile that with the 29th March date already legislated for?
A short extension to Article 50 would not achieve anything, plus would not easily be agreed by the other 27 EU members. A long extension would have Parliament playing with fire.
So, 18 days and we’re out. Free at last.

I could see an extension without a time-limit, that lasts until a withdrawal agreement has been concluded, and which cannot unilaterally be exited ???? 

[vogie]

Macron has said he would block an extention "without a clear objective," but there again Mrs Merkel has said "if Great Britain needs more time we will not oppose it.

[tomacht8]

May's deal will be rejected.

No Deal Brexit will be rejected.

The EU rejects the extension of time.

The UK withdraws the article 50.

The UK then has enough time to plan their Brexit reasonably or to cancel the whole.

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, vogie said:

Macron has said he would block an extention "without a clear objective," but there again Mrs Merkel has said "if Great Britain needs more time we will not oppose it.

And those two will negotiate a common ground.

 

The Brexiteer dream of ‘Divide and rule’ has failed from the get go.

[wombat]

No deal, No problem.

[steve187]

MP's failed to do the will of the people, the whole lot need to be shot resign and a fresh election needs to take place, cancel brexit for the time being. then plan plan plan for the next brexit 2, the EU will fail, lets not be in it when it does.

[alanrchase]

Just now, steve187 said:

MP's failed to do the will of the people, the whole lot need to be shot resign and a fresh election needs to take place, cancel brexit for the time being. then plan plan plan for the next brexit 2, the EU will fail, lets not be in it when it does.

An election was held after the Brexit vote. Are you now suggesting we carry on having elections till you get the result you want?

[steve187]

2 minutes ago, wombat said:

No deal, No problem.

not only 17,410,742 but the majority of the people that voted, in the biggest turn out since 1992 in a GE, and the biggest in a referendum ever

[LucysDad]

Just now, steve187 said:

MP's failed to do the will of the people, the whole lot need to be shot resign and a fresh election needs to take place, cancel brexit for the time being. then plan plan plan for the next brexit 2, the EU will fail, lets not be in it when it does.

 

 

There is more chance of being "in it" if we cancel Brexit.

 

Get out - then let the nation decide who it wants to run the UK post-Brexit.

[SheungWan]

51 minutes ago, Loiner said:

May’s surrender agreement looks like it will be kicked out.
No Deal will probably be voted against too. How can they reconcile that with the 29th March date already legislated for?
A short extension to Article 50 would not achieve anything, plus would not easily be agreed by the other 27 EU members. A long extension would have Parliament playing with fire.
So, 18 days and we’re out. Free at last.

18 days and then we might be free from Hard Brexiteer nonsensical contributions. But I'm not betting on that.

[steve187]

5 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

An election was held after the Brexit vote. Are you now suggesting we carry on having elections till you get the result you want?

no because because they failed to do the bidding of the people, it was not up to the MP's to have a say, they had their say the same as everyone else in the vote, we need another gang of 650, this bunch are a lots of pancake  toss flippers, the 2 party politics in the UK has had its day.

[SheungWan]

5 minutes ago, LucysDad said:

There is more chance of being "in it" if we cancel Brexit.

Get out - then let the nation decide who it wants to run the UK post-Brexit.

Someone wants their pudding before the main dish.

[SheungWan]

Just now, steve187 said:

no because because they failed to do the bidding of the people, it was not up to the MP's to have a say, they had their say the same as everyone else in the vote, we need another gang of 650, this bunch are a lots of pancake  toss flippers, the 2 party politics in the UK has had its day.

UKIP2 to the rescue. 

[steve187]

Just now, SheungWan said:

18 days and then we might be free from Hard Brexiteer nonsensical contributions. But I'm not betting on that.

your views are your views, and just because you don't like other people views, you say its nonsensical 

[Pedrogaz]

35 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

May's deal will be rejected.

No Deal Brexit will be rejected.

The EU rejects the extension of time.

The UK withdraws the article 50.

The UK then has enough time to plan their Brexit reasonably or to cancel the whole.

Withdrawing Art 50 is irrevocable which means UK cannot withdraw and then resubmit an Art 50 unless the EU agree.

[SheungWan]

38 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

May's deal will be rejected.

No Deal Brexit will be rejected.

The EU rejects the extension of time.

The UK withdraws the article 50.

The UK then has enough time to plan their Brexit reasonably or to cancel the whole.

Unlikely that the EU will decline an extension or the UK cancel Brexit without further referendum.

[steve187]

5 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Withdrawing Art 50 is irrevocable which means UK cannot withdraw and then resubmit an Art 50 unless the EU agree.

In Brexit terms, this means that the UK can revoke Article 50 unilaterally , there is no mention of not being allowed to resubmitting it at a later date

[SheungWan]

6 minutes ago, steve187 said:

your views are your views, and just because you don't like other people views, you say its nonsensical 

Not all. Some.

[Pete1980]

I feel sorry for the Europeans in this drama.

The Brits were the ones wanting this divorce and now cant even agree with each other. 

[SheungWan]

1 minute ago, steve187 said:

In Brexit terms, this means that the UK can revoke Article 50 unilaterally , there is no mention of not being allowed to resubmitting it at a later date

Brexit is not a tap that can be switched on and off.

[SheungWan]

2 minutes ago, Pete1980 said:

I feel sorry for the Europeans in this drama.

The Brits were the ones wanting this divorce and now cant even agree with each other. 

Nothing to feel sorry for. That is just how it has played out.

[Nurseynutcase]

1 hour ago, Loiner said:

May’s surrender agreement looks like it will be kicked out.
No Deal will probably be voted against too. How can they reconcile that with the 29th March date already legislated for?
A short extension to Article 50 would not achieve anything, plus would not easily be agreed by the other 27 EU members. A long extension would have Parliament playing with fire.
So, 18 days and we’re out. Free at last.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Free at last!!!!!  I certainly hope so.

[tomacht8]

8 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Withdrawing Art 50 is irrevocable which means UK cannot withdraw and then resubmit an Art 50 unless the EU agree.

The UK can withdraw Art 50 and can later again Submit Art. 50