Brexit: Lawmakers reject Premier Theresa May's deal

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON

British lawmakers will gather to debate on a motion of no-confidence in Teresa May’s Brexit government as it was tabled by Labour Party straight after she received a humiliating defeat on her Brexit deal Tuesday evening.

British lawmakers rejected Prime Minister May’s EU withdrawal agreement after 432 of them voted against it.

In a speech that followed the voting, May said she will hold talks with the other parties to see what solution might be acceptable.

She said she will go back to the EU to consider alterations on the deal.

The prime minister said she will first ensure MPs can see if they still have confidence in the government.

She said if the Labour Party leader submits a motion of no-confidence, it would be debated on Wednesday.

Speaking after May, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he has submitted a motion of no-confidence in government, as the defeat was the greatest against a government since .

He said the government has consistently failed to reach out to other parties.

“The government should accept that the U.K. will stay in the customs union for good, that a no-deal Brexit is not an option and that the rights of EU nationals will be accepted,” he said.

The Scottish National (SNP) said they would support the motion but the government's de facto partner Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said it would vote for the government.

The vote

Dealing May a historic defeat, the vote declared the deal, which was agreed to by British and EU officials after two years of negotiations, effectively null and void.

“I urge the U.K. to clarify its intentions as soon as possible,” European Commission President Juncker said shortly after the historic vote.

The vote was originally scheduled to be held last December but the prime minister postponed it after failing to secure enough support, pledging legally binding assurances for the length and end of the backstop clause, dealing with the thorny Irish border issue.

A total of 202 MPs backed the rejected deal but around 118 Conservative MPs voted it down

May tried to make the case that her deal is the best for the country’s interests and the alternative would be leaving the union without a deal.

Scenarios after the defeat today include May’s resignation, renewed general elections, an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process, a public referendum on the deal, or a no-deal Brexit.

The U.K. is set to leave the bloc on March 29 after more than 40 years of membership.