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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 16 January 2019

UK's May faces no-confidence vote after Brexit plan crushed

By JILL LAWLESS drums and music from rival
GREGORY KATZ bands of pro-EU and pro-
RAF CASERT Brexit protesters outside.
Associated Press One group waved blue-
LONDON (AP) — British law- and-yellow EU flags, the
makers overwhelmingly re- other brandished "Leave
jected Prime Minister The- Means Leave" placards.
resa May's divorce deal Inside, the government
with the European Union on and opposition parties or-
Tuesday, plunging the Brex- dered lawmakers to can-
it process into chaos and cel all other plans to be on
triggering a no-confidence hand for the crucial vote.
vote that could topple her Labour legislator Tulip Sid-
government. diq delayed the scheduled
The defeat was widely ex- cesarean birth of her son so
pected, but the scale of she could attend, arriving
the House of Commons' in a wheelchair
vote — 432 votes against Some Conservatives want
the government and 202 in May to seek further talks
support — was devastating with EU leaders on changes
for May's fragile leadership. before bringing a tweaked
It followed more than two An activist from Avaaz wears a mask of Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May as Pro-European dem- version of the bill back to
years of political upheaval onstrators protest opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Parliament, even though
in which May has staked Associated Press EU officials insist the 585-
her political reputation on page withdrawal agree-
getting a Brexit deal and vative party rebel. North- that lawmakers by major- both sides of the divide ment cannot be renegoti-
was the biggest defeat for ern Ireland's Democratic ity vote can specify a new over U.K.'s place in the ated.
a government in the House Unionist Party, which props plan for Britain's EU exit. bloc. Pro-Brexit lawmakers Tim Bale, professor of poli-
of Commons in modern his- up May's government, said But with no clear majority say the deal will leave Brit- tics at Queen Mary Universi-
tory. it would support her. in Parliament for any single ain bound indefinitely to ty of London, said May was
Moments after the result "The House has spoken and alternate course, there is a EU rules, while pro-EU politi- unlikely to get changes to
was announced — with the government will listen," growing chance that Brit- cians favor an even closer her deal from that could
Speaker John Bercow bel- May said after the vote, ain may seek to postpone economic relationship with "placate her Brexiteers."
lowing "the noes have it" which leaves her Brexit plan its departure date while Europe. "Or, she reaches out to La-
to a packed Commons on life support just 10 weeks politicians work on a new The most contentious sec- bour and goes for a softer
chamber — May said it was before the country is due to plan — or even hand the tion of the deal was an in- Brexit than most Brexiteers
only right to test whether leave the EU on March 29. decision back to voters in surance policy known as would contemplate" — but
the government still had May promised to con- a new referendum on EU the "backstop" designed which the EU might ac-
lawmakers' support to carry sult lawmakers on future membership. to prevent the reintroduc- cept, Bale said.
on. Opposition leader Jere- moves, but gave little indi- "If you can't resolve the im- tion of border controls be- Frustrated EU leaders called
my Corbyn quickly obliged, cation of what she plans passe here in Westminster, tween the U.K.'s Northern on May to make her inten-
saying May's government to do next. Parliament has than you have to refer it Ireland and EU member tions clear on the future of
had lost the confidence of given the government until back to the people," said Ireland Assurances from EU Brexit.
Parliament. Monday to come up with a Labour Party lawmaker leaders that the backstop "Now, it is time for the U.K.
Lawmakers will vote new proposal. Chuka Umunna, who sup- is intended as a temporary to tell us the next steps,"
Wednesday on his motion She faces a stark choice: ports a second referen- measure of last resort com- said Michel Barnier, the
of no-confidence. If the Steer the country toward dum. pletely failed to win over bloc's chief negotiator.
government loses, it will an abrupt "no-deal" break May, who had postponed many British skeptics, European Commission pres-
have 14 days to overturn with the EU or try to nudge a vote on the deal in De- Two and a half years after ident Jean-Claude Juncker
the result or face a national it toward a softer depar- cember to avoid certain the referendum, Britain re- — who returned to Brussels
election. ture. Meanwhile, lawmak- defeat, had implored law- mains divided over how, late Tuesday to deal with
Although May lacks an ers from both government makers to back her deal and whether, to leave the fallout from the vote — said
overall majority in Parlia- and opposition parties are and deliver on voters' deci- EU. the rejection of May's deal
ment, she looks likely to trying to wrest control of sion in 2016 to leave the EU. As lawmakers debated in had increased "the risk of a
survive the vote unless law- the Brexit process from a But the deal was doomed the chamber, there was disorderly withdrawal of the
makers from her Conser- paralyzed government, so by deep opposition from a cacophony of chants, United Kingdom."q