March 26 (UPI) — The British Parliament voted to seize control of the Brexit process from Prime Minister Theresa May and her government Monday.
The amendment to seize control of the parliamentary timetable for a series of “indicative votes” for the next steps of the Brexit process passed by a vote of 329-302, The Guardian reported.
Foreign Affairs Minister Alistair Burt, Health Minister Steve Brine and Business Minister Richard Harrington resigned from the government to back the amendment.
May, who said Monday she didn’t have enough support for a third meaningful vote on her Brexit deal with the European Union, didn’t state whether she would abide by the outcome of the vote.
“No government could give a blank check to commit to an outcome without knowing what it is. So I cannot commit the government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this house. But I do commit to engaging constructively with this process,” she said.
The European Union gave May a deadline this week to get Parliament to approve their deal or force Britain out without a withdrawal agreement, which could bring sudden changes.
An estimated 1 million people participated in a march in London on Saturday, demanding a second public vote on Brexit.
The European Union, though, issued an announcement Monday saying that it has prepared for Britain to leave the European Union without a deal.
“This will obviously cause significant disruption for citizens and businesses. In such a scenario, the UK’s relations with the EU would be governed by general international public law, including rules of the World Trade Organization,” the statement said.
“The EU will be required to immediately apply its rules and tariffs at its borders with the UK. This includes checks and controls for customs, sanitary and phytosanitary standards and verification of compliance with EU norms. Despite the considerable preparations of the Member States’ customs authorities, these controls could cause significant delays at the border. UK entities would also cease to be eligible to receive EU grants and to participate in EU procurement procedures under current terms,” the statement continued.
