UK MPs to vote on no-deal Brexit, extending article 50

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - The members of Britain’s House of Commons will have their say on a no-deal Brexit and a limited delay to the article 50 if a deal to be presented is rejected again, Prime Minister Theresa May announced Tuesday.

Making a statement on Brexit to lawmakers, May also promised them a “meaningful vote” on her Brexit deal by March 12.

The U.K. would "only leave without a deal on 29 March if there is explicit consent in the House for that outcome", May said.

The British premier underlined that she did not want to see article 50 extended and said "it would not make getting a deal any easier".

May said the MPs would be offered two votes if the deal is rejected again and they will be able to vote on a no-deal Brexit and a limited extension to article 50 to negotiate the U.K.’s exit with the EU beyond the Brexit date.

"They are commitments I am making as prime minister and I will stick by them, as I have previous commitments to make statements and table amendable motions by specific dates," May said.

“Let me be clear, I do not want to see article 50 extended,” she said.

“Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on 29 March.”

May said: “An extension beyond the end of June would mean the UK taking part in the European parliament elections.

“What kind of message would that send to the more than 17 million people who voted to leave the EU nearly three years ago now?

“And the House should be clear that a short extension – not beyond the end of June – would almost certainly have to be a one-off. If we had not taken part in the European Parliament elections, it would be extremely difficult to extend again, so it would create a much sharper cliff edge in a few months’ time.”

The U.K. is set to leave the bloc end of March as a result of a 2016 referendum where British voters decided to leave the union after more than 40 years of membership.