Britain in Chaos, Brexit Faces Impasse
Theresa May faced a humiliating defeat after her second deal was rejected by lawmakers.
On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, British Prime Minister Theresa May carried her hopes of winning over lawmakers for her Brexit deal to parliament with confidence. Still, May faced another overwhelming rejection even from her own party in a vote of 391 to 242. 75 Tories voted against their own leader. The rejection from parliament yesterday had diminished Britain’s chance to leave the trading bloc on the deadline.
Parliament will vote again today on whether to leave the E.U. on the deadline (March 29), or without a deal (hard Brexit) which could create havoc for Britain and global markets. The source familiar to the matter did not mention the second referendum. Though it may raise a lot of doubt on Britain’s own democracy to respect the vote from three years ago, the scenario is still possible.
May said the government would not instruct her own party’s lawmakers how to vote, as would normally be the case.
“Voting against leaving without a deal and for an extension does not solve the problems we face,” May said. “The E.U. will want to know what use we mean to make of such an extension and this House will have to answer that question.”
What is worse is that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that this is the last chance for Britain.
In another perspective, the Former Foreign Secretary and a leading Brexiteer, Boris Johnson, stated in favor of hard Brexit, saying that it will be difficult in a short term, but in the end it is the only safe route out of the abyss and the only safe path to self-respect.
As for the Anti-Brexit lawmakers, it is clear that the aim is to hold the second referendum after asking the E.U. for a deferral.
A little over two weeks before the deadline, and at this point, there is no telling which direction will Britain decide to walk.