Thousands demand new vote
UK PM hints at no vote on her Brexit deal next week; 4m sign petition to revoke article 50
Thousands of people opposed to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union marched through central London yesterday to demand a new referendum as the deepening Brexit crisis risked sinking Prime Minister Theresa May's premiership.
After three years of tortuous debate, it is still uncertain how, when or even if Brexit will happen as May tries to plot a way out of the gravest political crisis in at least a generation.
May hinted on Friday that she might not bring her twice-defeated EU divorce deal back to parliament next week, leaving her Brexit strategy in meltdown. The Times and The Daily Telegraph reported that pressure was growing on May to resign.
James McGrory, the director of the People's Vote campaign and one of the organisers of the march, said the campaign for a second Brexit referendum is now the biggest mass movement in Britain, dwarfing the membership of the main political parties.
Organisers were confident that the size of the crowd would exceed a similar rally held in October, when supporters said about 700,000 people turned up.
A petition to cancel Brexit altogether gained 4 million signatures in just 3 days after May told the public "I am on your side" over Brexit and urged lawmakers to get behind her deal.
May has repeatedly ruled out holding another Brexit referendum, saying it would deepen divisions and undermine support for democracy. Brexit supporters say a second referendum would trigger a major constitutional crisis.
Some opinion polls have shown a slight shift in favour of remaining in the European Union, but there has yet to be a decisive change in attitudes. Many voters in Britain say they have become increasingly bored by Brexit and May said on Wednesday that they want this stage of the Brexit process to be "over and done with."