Happy New Year
Parliament’s meaningful vote on Brexit could be delayed as far into the New Year as January 21, Downing Street confirmed today.
Prime Minister Theresa May pulled the vote from the House of Commons on Monday as more than 100 of her own Tory MPs said they would vote against her draft agreement for exiting the European Union.
Downing Street said May would bring her deal back to parliament “before January 21.”
Her government had been insistent that parliament would receive a “meaningful vote” on the proposed exit deal. It now looks like that may happen in the New Year, as the prime minister rushes to Brussels to try and secure extra concessions from the EU leadership, particularly in relation to the Irish back stop.
But today president of the EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said there was “no room whatsoever for renegotiation” of the deal.
I will meet @theresa_may this evening in Brussels. I remain convinced that the #Brexit deal we have is the best – and only – deal possible. There is no room for renegotiation, but further clarifications are possible.
— Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) December 11, 2018
If the government runs up to the deadline of January 21 to offer parliament a vote, it will leave just 67 days until the UK leaves the EU on March 29 2019 – the deadline put in place by triggering Article 50.
On Tuesday Theresa May convened cabinet for a meeting that will include discussions of no-deal preparations.
President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said the EU would hold similar discussions. Reiterating that the draft agreement was not up for renegotiation, he said he had called a Council meeting on Thursday on the matter and that they “will also discuss preparedness for a no-deal scenario.”
I have decided to call #EUCO on #Brexit (Art. 50) on Thursday. We will not renegotiate the deal, including the backstop, but we are ready to discuss how to facilitate UK ratification. As time is running out, we will also discuss our preparedness for a no-deal scenario.
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) December 10, 2018
Don’t worry though, Britain’s parliament remains totally normal and calm.
Five-star wanted level for stealing the House of Commons mace and trying to stop Brexit pic.twitter.com/GeP54tf7P8
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) December 10, 2018
