May braced for big defeat on Brexit vote as EU stands pat on backstop
Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal looked destined for a heavy defeat in parliament on Tuesday as she failed to shift the EU's position on the Irish backstop.
In an exchange of letters with the EU's leadership, May failed to get the legal assurances she needed that the backstop would not be time-limited.
Instead, European Council President Donald Tusk and his Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU was “determined to give priority in our work programme to the discussion of proposals that might replace the backstop with alternative arrangements”.
“In this context, facilitative arrangements and technologies will be considered,” they said.
“The commission is committed to providing the necessary political impetus and resources to help achieving the objective of making this period as short as possible.”
Earlier on Monday, May implored MPs to “give this deal a second look” as the clock ticked down towards Tuesday's key vote in the House of Commons. A defeat means she must come back with a 'plan B' within three sitting days.
"It is not perfect, but when the history books are written, people will look at the decision of this House tomorrow and ask 'did we deliver on the country's vote to leave the EU, did we safeguard our economy, security or union or did we let the British people down'," she said in a statement to parliament.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would seek a vote of no confidence in May if the deal was defeated, but did not indicate when.
The backstop is designed to prevent a hard border with Ireland if a trade agreement cannot be reached with the EU by the end of the transition period after Britain leaves the bloc at the end of May.
It would place the UK in a customs union, but opponents of May's deal on both sides feel this could leave it under the control of Brussels without any benefits in return.