This was her irresolute approach to the Brexit that even made her own party colleagues to desert her. Her proposal was just voted down by Parliament. May’s deal lost 202 to 432, a humiliating defeat that reveals just how unpopular her plan was. Members of Parliament have been opposed to the withdrawal agreement ever since May delivered it last year. But May in her overconfidence ignored their desires and arguments.

Meanwhile the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is planning to move a no-confidence motion against May. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen next — but a lot of will depend on the outcome of this no-confidence vote. If she loses in that case the Members of Parliament would try to form an alternate government.

But the Labour is planning to press for a second referendum; a people’s vote on the future of Brexit. There is a lingering fear that if the party fails to reach out its supporters and members, then that would inflict immense damage to the organization. Meanwhile some Labour leaders close to Corbyn hold that he should renegotiate the Brexit deal. Any way the coming days are not rosy for UK. Either Britain must assert for some more days, say a couple of months or remain in the EU as its member.

IN case of Britain going for general elections, Britain would have to get permission from the European Union to extend Article 50 (the mechanism of the EU treaty that the UK used to withdraw from the bloc) and push back the Brexit deadline.

The present situation prevailing in Britain reflects confusion that grips the British politicians. No politician either of Labour or Conservative is clear about the policy and strategy to be adopted about Brexit. Interestingly there’s been growing support for a second referendum . The idea first mooted by Corbyn has the support of the majority of the parliamentarians.

ort in Parliament, but not quite a majority. May has resisted such a vote at all turns, suggesting it’s undemocratic and effectively voids the outcome of the 2016 referendum. There is a general feeling that the people have been witness to the Brexit wrangling going on for last three years and will opt to remain part of the EU on a second try.

A soft Brexit is also seen as the face saver. Majority of the MPs rule out Britain’s crashing out of the EU without an agreement. U.K. has three options to avoid crashing out on March 29: reach a deal, delay Brexit or revoke Article 50. Meanwhile election regulators are actively making contingency plans for the possibility of taking part in European elections in May if Brexit is delayed beyond that point, it has emerged.

An extension of Brexit talks beyond the date of European Parliament elections in late May would mean that Britain would have to take part in European Parliament elections despite its plan to leave the EU, the European Commission said. As May’s government grapples with the consequences of her second failure to get her Brexit deal through the Commons, ministers insist that the UK will not participate in the elections on May 23-26.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president said; “Britain must have left the EU no later than by the European elections if it did not want to participate in the election. If the UK had not left the bloc by then it will be legally required to hold these elections”.

Public opinion surveys indicate that most people in France, Italy and the Netherlands, watching the UK’s self-torture over how to leave the EU feel that it would be risky, even irrational, to attempt the same experiment. There is a rising possibility that the European Parliament election campaign will become intertwined with the Brexit problem.

On its part the EU has made clear that it will only agree to an extension if there is “credible” justification for it, and not simply for the political impasse in Parliament to continue. Significantly the defeat is significant as is indicative of the extent to which authority has been slipping away from the Prime Minister. With it clear that Parliament is against leaving without a deal, the pressure will be on for her to resolve the political impasse through compromise. The other alternative is to make way for other person.

However it is interesting to watch that the parliamentarians are in favour of a deal. They do not endorse May’s no deal. There is no serious move by cabinet ministers to oust May but speculation is growing as to how long she can cling on to the job. The political establishments of UK and EU are feeling frustrated. While the UK feels that the leaders are not competent to handle the issue, the EU is frustrated at what it sees as the inability of Britain’s weak and divided government to lay out a clear vision for Brexit. The EU leadership is completely annoyed at the instance of May. The reason is May is seeking changes to an agreement that she herself helped negotiate and approve. (IPA Service)