Brexit remains in an impasse

(VOVWORLD) - Britain’s departure from the European Union remains locked in a stalemate as British MPs couldn’t agree on any of the 8 measures voted on Wednesday, even after Prime Minister Theresa May offered to resign in exchange for support for her Brexit deal. Another Brexit deal vote scheduled for Friday is likely also to fail, leaving Brexit mired in chaos. 

The House of Commons’ vote on Friday will focus on the rights of UK and EU citizens, and the Irish backstop to avoid a hard border in Ireland. The political declaration on future EU-UK relations that was part of the two previous votes will not be included in the third vote.

Vicious circle

After taking control of Brexit from the government, the House of Commons was seen debated fiercely to break the impasse. All 8 measures proposed by MPs were rejected by the House, meaning MPs oppose not only the government’s plans but also their own. So what do they really want?

Prime Minister May has failed twice to get a Brexit deal negotiated with the EU approved by the House. But MPs will vote again on Friday on just part of the deal already agreed with the EU, including the “divorce bill”, the rights of UK and EU citizens, and the most controversialIrish backstop. On Thursday night, MPs of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and about 30 Conservative MPs said they will vote against the deal. The Labor Party said they don’t want the UK to leave the EU without knowing what the future relationship will be. Some are calling the Brexit stalemate a “vicious circle,”and some have said the 585-page Brexit deal is“in a coma.”

Britons losing patience

Last weekend, 1 million anti-Brexit protesters took to London’s streets in the biggest demonstration in decades, demanding a second referendum on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. Last week, 3 million signatures were gathered for a petition calling for Brexit to be stopped. The petition has been posted on the UK Parliament website since Thursday and at times has drawn as much as 2,000 signatures a minute.

While the MPs are busy criticizing each other, even bigger rallies are being organized in London and other places.

British voters chose Brexit in a referendum in June 2016 because they thought it would be good for their country. 3 years later, the vote has led only to a contentious mess that Parliament seems incapable of resolving. 

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