Brexit Deal Under Fire: May Ushers in a Tough Decision
Prime Minister’s Ultimatum
Theresa May warned the House that if Parliament rejects the new Brexit deal, Britain would be thrust into a murky unknown. She told MPs that the agreement – signed with EU leaders on Sunday – is the best path forward: “We can back this deal, deliver on the referendum vote, and move on to building a brighter future … or this House can choose to reject it and go back to square one.” May stressed the stakes, saying “No one knows what would happen if this deal doesn’t pass. It would open the door to more division and more uncertainty.”
The Vote Looms
The Commons will debate the agreement for five days before voting on Dec. 11. May’s office has highlighted that a rejection could force Britain to exit the EU without a deal – a scenario business leaders say would hurt the world’s fifth‑largest economy.
Who’s on the Fence?
- The Conservatives (314 MPs) and opposition parties (313 MPs) are both critical, with the 10 DUP members poised to vote against the pact.
- Conservative MP Mark Francois warned, “This will never get through … it is as dead as a dodo,” calling the deal a “surrender.”
- Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called proceeding without parliamentary support an “act of national self‑harm.”
- May’s deputy, David Lidington, plans a meeting with Labour MPs to try and secure some backing.
Numbers Game
May needs a simple majority of 320 votes if every active MP votes. However, parliamentary whips suggest she might only need 305 votes once absences and abstentions are factored in.
EU’s Hard Stance
The EU is clear that it has little appetite for reopening Brexit talks if the deal falls out of Parliament’s hands.
Fishing Rights and the Backstop Twist
French President Emmanuel Macron’s demand for UK fishing access post‑Brexit has added pressure on the backstop debate. May countered that the EU “failed in the Withdrawal Agreement and again in the Political Declaration” by tying market access to fisheries, and warned that any future relationship cannot rely on the same guarantees.
With the clock ticking, May’s latest option is a tense showdown in the Commons where every vote will determine whether Britain marches on a new first‑step or resets its course back to the unknown.
