Brexit crunch looms for May
British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy was in meltdown yesterday after her failure to win last-minute concessions from the European Union set the stage for another humiliating defeat of her divorce deal in parliament.
Just 18 days before the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, there is still no ratified divorce deal and talks with the bloc have stalled as May tries to break the political deadlock in London.
May's spokesman said a "meaningful" parliamentary vote on her deal would go ahead today, even though talks with the EU are deadlocked, and the motion was set to be published later yesterday. The exact vote format was not immediately clear.
European officials said there had been no breakthrough in talks over the weekend and expressed frustration with May's attempts to secure concessions just weeks before Britain's exit.
"May has boxed herself even deeper into a corner, it seems the second meaningful vote will go ahead on Tuesday but it also seems like it won't be the last meaningful vote on this," one EU official said.
"We really want to be over with it now. It's not going anywhere so even an extension is unlikely to break the impasse. There is not much patience or goodwill left on our side."
European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said it was up to the British parliament to take important decisions on Brexit this week.
The European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier told AFP the British leader must negotiate with MPs rather than the EU.
"We held talks over the weekend and the negotiations now are between the government in London and the parliament in London," Barnier said in Brussels.
May was set to travel to Strasbourg yesterday in a bid to "finalise" her Brexit deal ahead of a crucial vote in the UK parliament, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said.
The United Kingdom's tortuous crisis over EU membership is approaching its finale with an extraordinary array of options including a delay, a last-minute deal, a no-deal Brexit, a snap election or even another referendum.
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