Prime Minister Theresa May’s “Brexit” deal with the EU crashed to defeat for the second time Tuesday. Even with the now-likely prospect of Britain exiting the EU without a deal (or not exiting it at all) the sprawling agreement fell 149 votes short in the House of Commons.
The PM said MPs will now get a vote on whether the UK should leave without a deal on 29 March and, if that fails, on whether Brexit should be delayed. She said the EU would need to know what use any extension would be put to. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the prime minister should now call a general election.
Despite weeks of constant negotiation, the deal was largely unchanged from the version defeated by an even larger margin two months ago. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has denounced May’s strategy as “running down the clock” in hopes of forcing parliament to choose between her deal and oblivion, and the deal’s time has run out.