Fresh setback for May
British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday suffered an early defeat to her Brexit plans, when lawmakers demanded the government come up with a plan B within days if she loses a vote on her deal to leave the European Union.
With less than three months before Britain is due to leave the EU, parliament kicked off a five-day battle over May's Brexit plan with a show of force - undermining her preferred timetable if lawmakers vote down her deal on Tuesday.
May has refused to retreat from her unpopular deal, which envisages close trading ties with the EU after leaving in March, pressing ahead with the vote that she looks set to lose after failing to win over her nominal Northern Irish allies.
Losing the vote would deepen the uncertainty over the future of Brexit, Britain's biggest shift in foreign and trade policy for more than 40 years, and opens the way for several different outcomes, ranging from a disorderly exit to another referendum.
Lawmakers voted 308-297 in favour of demanding the government come up with an alternative plan within three working days after Tuesday's vote, rather than a planned 21-day limit, a largely symbolic vote aimed at putting pressure on the government.
May's spokesman said the government's advice was that parliament could not change its so-called business motion which set out the procedure for the Brexit vote, but played down the impact of the vote for its overall plans.
"We are doing everything we can to win the meaningful vote that happens on Tuesday," the spokesman said.
"But it is also the intention, if that were not to take place, that we respond quickly to provide certainty on the way forward following that vote."
Combined with a vote late on Tuesday when the government lost on the finance bill, the defeats underline May's precarious position in parliament and the difficult she will have in winning approval for her Brexit deal.
The opposition Labour Party has said that it will immediately table a vote of no confidence in the government if May loses the vote.
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