Parliament will get a vote on May’s Brexit deal by 21 January
The Prime Minister will hold parliament’s delayed vote on her Brexit deal by 21 January, Downing Street confirmed today, according to media reports.
Theresa May yesterday postponed MPs’ so-called “meaningful vote” on her draft withdrawal agreement, which was scheduled for today, without offering a new date.
But Downing Street said she will stick to the deadline of the EU withdrawal act, which gives 21 January as the date by which the Prime Minister must state how the government plans to move forward if no Brexit deal is agreed.
The news comes as May arrived in Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in an attempt to woo European leaders to change some of the terms of her Brexit deal.
However, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker ruled out further to-and-fro between the UK and EU this morning.
Juncker, who is set to meet the Prime Minister in Brussels this evening, said: “I remain convinced that the Brexit deal we have is the best – and only – deal possible. There is no room for renegotiation, but further clarifications are possible.”
Meanwhile, the EU and Ireland are preparing for a no-deal Brexit scenario.
European Council President Donald Tusk has organised a meeting for Thursday to make preparations, saying: "We will not renegotiate the deal, including the backstop, but we are ready to discuss how to facilitate UK ratification. As time is running out, we will also discuss our preparedness for a no-deal scenario."
May hopes to make changes to the so-called Irish backstop, which has met anger from all parties, as it would tie the UK into a temporary customs union with the EU that it cannot quit of its own accord.
The backstop is a measure designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland until a permanent solution can be found.