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Theresa May delays Brexit deal vote: What happens next?

In the face of fierce opposition to her Brexit deal, the Prime Minister called off the “meaningful v..

In the face of fierce opposition to her Brexit deal, the Prime Minister called off the “meaningful vote” to avoid what would have been an embarrassing defeat in parliament.

She told MPs her deal would have been “rejected by a significant margin” and therefore decided to defer the vote to a later date yet to be determined.

The PM said she would attempt to seek concessions from Brussels to “reassure” MPs Britain would not be tied to the EU “indefinitely” under the Irish backstop arrangement.

She conceded there was still “widespread and deep concern” over the backstop, which prevents a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

But despite calls for her to “govern or quit” by Tory MPs, Mrs May insisted her deal was “the right one” for Britain in that it respected the result of the 2016 referendum.

While buying her time to secure concessions from the EU, the PM still faces the ominous task of passing her deal through parliament, in whatever form it takes.

brexit what happens next

BREXIT DELAYED: Theresa May has postponed the vote on her deal (Pic: GETTY)

What happens now?

In the hope of clinching a better deal, the PM will go back to Brussels where she re-enter talks with the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team.

The main sticking point is the Irish border backstop, which, under the current deal, would come into effect if a future relationship between the EU and Britain cannot be agreed by the end of the transition period in 2020.

Britain would therefore remain in a customs union with the EU, meaning rules and regulations would still apply until an accord would be reached by both sides.

As attorney general Geoffrey Cox pointed out in his legal advice to the government last week last week, Britain could be trapped “indefinitely” in that backstop limbo.

In her statement, Mrs May admitted herself that the anxieties over the backstop meant that MPs were minded to vote down her deal.</span></span>

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“We will not renegotiate the deal”

Donald Tusk

What concessions does Mrs May want?

The fresh negotiations are expected to centre on the Irish backstop issue, with Mrs May pleading for leeway on the non-time limited element of it.

She could ask the EU for an amendment to the agreement giving Britain a legally binding assurance that the backstop will not last “indefinitely”.

If signed off by EU leaders, such a concession could assuage the fears of Brexit-supporting MPs and persuade them to approve her deal in parliament.

theresa may

DEFIANT: Mrs May said she believes her deal is right for the UK (Pic: SKY NEWS)

Will the EU give her concessions?

EU officials and leaders have been united in their refusal to allow Mrs May to alter the withdrawal agreement she hammered out.

European Council President Donald Tusk said Brexit would be discussed at the council meeting on Thursday, including how to help the British government ratify the exit process.

But he stressed that the withdrawal agreement was not up for renegotiation.

"I have decided to call EUCO on Brexit (Art. 50) on Thursday," Tusk said on Twitter.

"We will not renegotiate the deal, including the backstop, but we are ready to discuss how to facilitate UK ratification. As time is running out, we will also discuss our preparedness for a no-deal scenario."

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar ruled out reopening talks around the backstop, saying it was not possible to reopen any aspect of the withdrawal agreement without reopening all of it.</span></span>

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brexit

DISQUIET: Brexit protesters use illuminated signs as they demonstrate (Pic: GETTY)

When will the vote be held?

In her statement to the Commons, Mrs May did not specify when the vote on her Brexit deal would be held.

Rather, she ambiguously said it would be deferred to give her more time to plead with the EU for sweeteners.

The EU Withdrawal Act – the legislation that enshrines Brexit into UK law – states that if there is no deal by 21 January, Mrs May must make a statement to MPs.

When pressed for a date by MPs, Mrs May did suggest that, under the EU Withdrawal Act, a vote would have to take place before January 21.</span></span>

theresa may

TURMOIL: Mrs May said the deal would have been defeated by a 'significant margin' (Pic: GETTY)

But according to the House of Commons official Twitter feed, the 21 January deadline no longer applies because Mrs May has secured a deal with EU.

The tweet read: “Now the Government has made a statement that political agreement on withdrawal agreement & future framework has been reached, the requirements for the Government to make a statement to the House by 21 Jan on no deal has been superseded.”

The tweet added that, in practice, the latest date the vote could be held is March 28 – the day before Britain is schedule to leave the EU.

Downing Street has insisted Britain will leave the EU on March 29 – two years after the triggering of Article 50, the process that instigates Brexit.

Therefore, in theory, Mrs May could hold the “meaningful vote” anytime between now and March 28, though in reality, its likely to be sooner rather than later.</span></span>

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