British Prime Minister Theresa May has on Tuesday, faced a defeat in a historic vote on her proposed Brexit deal in parliament after her last-minute pleas for the support.
According to Bloomberg news reports, at least 70 of May’s Conservative Party, sometimes along with the democratic unionist party, publicly pledged to join the opposition members of parliament while voting against May’s agreements on Monday. A defeat by more than 100 votes would be the worst since 1924.
Two and half months before Britain was due to leave the European Union (EU), and struggling to pass her deal through the parliament, May today faced a defeat, that too worst defeat since 1924.
The humiliating outcome could now pressure May to delay Britain’s scheduled March 29 departure from the EU and could potentially open some other options, ranging to a second referendum from leaving the EU.
One of May’s senior ministers, Environment Secretary Michael Gove told BBC: “The British people have placed responsibility on us.”
He said: “Are we going to live up to that responsibility and vote to leave the European Union or are we going to disappoint them and damage our democracy by not voting to leave the EU?”
Dominic Raab, who resigned as of May’s Brexit minister in protest at her plans in November, said: “It’s time for us, through this vote, to make clear not just that the current terms are unacceptable, but that we are not just throwing our hands up in the air.”
He said: “We are going to leave on March 29.”
The EU and markets will be watching Tuesday’s outcome scheduled to start at 7 pm. According to the head of hedge-fund currency sales at Mizuho Bank Neil Jones, the defeats by more than 220 voted could see sterling fall to $1.225.
Several EU officials last week said a margin of less than a 60 would leave some room for hope, and the block might look forward with some fresh way to make an agreement more palatable to get passed.
Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told lawmakers on Monday’s night: ““We can flunk it, we can vote for this deal, and we would thereby confirm the worst suspicions of the British public about the cynicism of the elite, or we can get it right and seize the opportunities before us,” adding, “If and when this deal is voted down let us not continue to flog this dead horse.”