Theresa May tells MPs she 'cannot commit' to alternate Brexit strategy
The PM says it is her "great regret" there is still not enough support for her Brexit deal - but suggests she won't change tack.
Monday 25 March 2019 23:04, UK
Theresa May has admitted there is still not enough support to bring back her Brexit deal for a third vote in the House of Commons - but failed to commit to chasing an alternative strategy.
The prime minister updated MPs on Monday after agreeing a delay to Brexit with EU leaders at a Brussels summit last week.
The UK will now leave the bloc on 22 May, although this is conditional on parliament finally approving Mrs May's Brexit deal by the end of this week.
Without MPs agreeing to the prime minister's withdrawal agreement, the Brexit date will instead come sooner on 12 April.
Mrs May told the Commons it is her "great regret" that "as things stand, there is still not sufficient support in the House to bring back the deal for a third meaningful vote".
Her admission came after a phone call with Arlene Foster, the DUP leader whose party props up Mrs May's government at Westminster.
After the pair's conversation, the Northern Ireland party announced its opposition to the prime minister's deal "remains unchanged".
In her statement, Mrs May suggested the continuing absence of approval for her deal would see a "slow Brexit" with a longer delay to the UK's exit from the EU that would see the country take part in European Parliament elections and "gives up control of any of our borders, laws, money or trade".
The prime minister also claimed a no-deal Brexit would not happen without MPs' approval, who have previously voted against such an outcome, while Mrs May added: "No Brexit must not happen."
Downing Street later denied the prime minister's words meant she herself was ruling out a no-deal Brexit.
On Monday evening, MPs are due to vote on a proposal for MPs to seize control of the parliamentary timetable for a day in order to hold so-called indicative votes on alternate Brexit outcomes.
Mrs May told the Commons her government would oppose this move as an "unwelcome precedent" that would "overturn the balance of our democratic institutions".
But she promised the government would itself provide parliamentary time for indicative votes on Brexit options.
Yet, the prime minister warned MPs she "cannot commit" to delivering an alternative Brexit outcome that the Commons supported
"The UK is only one half of the equation and the votes could lead to an outcome that is unnegotiable with the EU," she said.
Taking questions after her statement, Mrs May signalled she would not seek to drop her Brexit red lines and negotiate a post-Brexit customs union with the EU, even if a majority of MPs voted in favour of it.
The prime minister suggested this would breach the Conservative manifesto from the 2017 general election.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who backs a permanent customs union with the EU, told MPs it was "time for this parliament to work together and agree on a Plan B".
He added: "If she is brave the prime minister would help facilitate this."
Earlier, the EU issued a statement on the prospect of a no-deal Brexit - which it claimed was an "increasingly likely" scenario.
Brussels said that if Britain leaves without an agreement in place, it will not benefit from a transition period to new arrangements, but will immediately be subject to checks and tariffs on its exports to the EU.
It said this would be expected to cause "significant delays" at borders.
The statement added: "The EU's contingency measures will not - and cannot - mitigate the overall impact of a no-deal scenario, nor do they in any way compensate for the lack of preparedness or replicate the full benefits of EU membership or the favourable terms of any transition period, as provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement.
"These proposals are temporary in nature, limited in scope and will be adopted unilaterally by the EU. They are not 'mini-deals' and have not been negotiated with the UK.
"The EU has maintained - and will continue to maintain - a fully united position throughout its preparations, and during any possible no-deal period."