British MPs will hold a crucial vote on December 11 to approve or reject the Brexit deal agreed with EU leaders, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday. “I am looking ahead to December 11… when this House will be faced with the decision as to whether or not it wishes to deliver on the vote of the British people,” she told parliament.Under the deal secured with EU leaders on Sunday, Britain will leave the bloc in March with continued close trade ties, but the odds now look stacked against May getting it approved by a divided British parliament.
As May tried to win over her critics, lawmakers from both her own Conservatives and opposition parties attacked the deal, warning that parliament would not support it, and urging her to set out an alternative plan.
“There is not a better deal available,” May told the House of Commons. “We can back this deal, deliver on the vote of the referendum and move on to building a brighter future .. or this House can choose to reject this deal and go back to square one.” “No-one knows what would happen if this deal doesn’t pass. It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty, with all the risks that will entail.”
Parliament will vote on the deal on Dec. 11 after a total of five days of debate, May’s office said. May has warned lawmakers that if they reject it, Britain could face leaving the EU without a deal – something businesses say would hurt the world’s fifth largest economy. The EU has also been clear that there is very little appetite to reopen the Brexit negotiations if parliament votes it down.
