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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 18 december 2018

May says postponed Brexit vote to be held week of Jan 14

By JILL LAWLESS stop.
DANICA KIRKA European Commission
LONDON (AP) — Prime Min- chief spokesman Margari-
ister Theresa May said Mon- tis Schinas, however, said
day that the postponed Monday that "at this stage,
vote in Parliament on Brit- no further meetings with
ain's Brexit agreement with the United Kingdom are
the European Union will be foreseen."
held the week of Jan. 14 — With Britain's departure from
more than a month after the bloc just three months
it was originally scheduled away, it remains unclear
and just 10 weeks before whether the country will
Britain leaves the EU. leave with a deal or crash
But even as May insisted out with no deal— a chaot-
she could salvage her ic outcome that could see
unpopular divorce deal, economic recession, grid-
pressure was mounting lock at U.K. ports, planes
for dramatic action — a grounded and shortages of
new referendum or a vote essential goods.
among lawmakers — to The Cabinet will discuss "no-
find a way out of Britain's deal" planning at its weekly
Brexit impasse and prevent Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street, in London Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, meeting on Tuesday, with
the economic damage of for the House of Commons to make a statement on the EU Summit held recently in Brussels. details to be announced
a messy exit from the EU on Associated Press soon of 2 billion pounds
March 29 with no agree- ($2.5 billion) in government
ment in place. ers, but was rebuffed by the accused May of deliber- bound too closely to the funding to absorb some of
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of bloc at a summit in Brussels ately wasting time by de- bloc, and pro-Europeans, the potential economic
the main opposition Labour last week. May's authority laying the vote for several who see it as inferior to stay- shock.
Party, said he would submit also has been shaken after more weeks. ing in the EU. Pro-EU Cabinet ministers,
a motion of no-confidence a no-confidence vote from "The prime minister has cyn- The main concern for pro- meanwhile, are seeking to
in the prime minister over her own party on Wednes- ically run down the clock Brexit lawmakers is a con- work with opposition politi-
her delays. Losing the vote day that saw more than a trying to maneuver Parlia- tentious insurance policy cians to find a way out of
on such a motion would third of Conservative law- ment into a choice be- known as the "backstop," the morass.
increase the pressure on makers vote against her. tween two unacceptable which would keep the U.K. One suggestion is to give
May, but unlike a no-confi- May told lawmakers in the outcomes: her deal and no tied to EU customs rules in members of Parliament
dence vote in the govern- House of Commons on deal," Corbyn said. order to guarantee the bor- votes on a range of options
ment as a whole it wouldn't Monday that they would A growing number of poli- der between Ireland and — from leaving without a
trigger a process leading to resume debate on the deal ticians from across the po- Northern Ireland remains deal to holding a new ref-
the fall of the government when Parliament comes litical spectrum believe a open after Brexit. erendum — to see if there
and an early election. back after its Christmas new referendum may be EU officials insisted at last is majority support for any
No date was immediately break the week of Jan. 7, the only way to break the week's summit that the with- course of action.
set for the confidence vote. with the vote held the fol- political logjam over Brexit. drawal agreement cannot May's spokesman, James
The British government and lowing week. But May told lawmakers be renegotiated, although Slack, said Monday that
the EU sealed a divorce "I know this is not everyone's that staging another refer- they also stressed that the the government had "no
deal last month, but May perfect deal," May said. "It endum would ride rough- backstop was meant only plans" to hold such an in-
postponed a parliamen- is a compromise. But if we shod over voters' 2016 de- as a temporary measure of dicative vote. But the idea
tary vote intended to ratify let the perfect be the en- cision to leave the EU and last resort. has support in Cabinet.
the agreement last week emy of the good then we "would say to millions who May said she had had "ro- "We can't just have con-
when it became clear leg- risk leaving the EU with no trusted in democracy that bust" exchanges with other tinuing uncertainty and I
islators would overwhelm- deal." our democracy does not EU leaders in Brussels, but think Parliament should be
ingly reject it. Opposition legislators — deliver." that the two sides were still invited to say what it would
She tried to win changes and many from May's Con- May's deal is loathed both holding talks about "further agree with," Business Sec-
from the EU to sweeten the servative Party — remain by pro-Brexit lawmakers, political and legal assur- retary Greg Clark told the
deal for reluctant lawmak- opposed to the deal, and who think it keeps Britain ances" about the back- BBC.q