Total chaos: the rejection of the new May plan leaves the Brexit in an ocean of doubts

LONDON – Britain remained uncertain today after the British Parliament again rejected the British Prime Minister's plan

Theresa May

for an orderly exit from the European Union (EU) by 391 votes against and 242 for.

After the vote, while May spoke of the possibility of a new referendum on Brexit, the opposition leader, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, called directly for early elections.

Voting places the world's fifth largest economy in unexplored territory with no clear outcome, as it can leave the European Union (EU) without agreement, delay the date of divorce on March 29, call an election or even another referendum.

The second rejection by the British Parliament of the London-Brussels divorce agreement has "greatly increased the likelihood of a Brexit without agreement," said today the spokesman for the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk.

"Only 17 days after March 29, today 's results have significantly increased the likelihood of a Brexiti without agreement," said Tusk' s spokesman, for whom he is "difficult to see what "else can do" the EU.

Yesterday, around midnight, May and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, had announced in Strasbourg, in the north-east of France,
last-minute agreements on the most controversial point of the text, the "Irish safeguard".

But that was not enough to calm the fears of many MPs. An influential group of Eurosceptic lawmakers, including the leader of the Northern Irish Trade Union Party DUP – May's key ally in Parliament – recommended voting against this "improved version".

In his decision, he weighed the legal opinion of Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, in charge of legal advice to the government.

In a report published shortly before, Cox acknowledged that new additions to the pension treaty "reduce the risk" that Britain is "indefinitely and unintentionally" stuck in a customs union with the European Union.

But "the legal risks remain unchanged," he condemned for throwing a decanter of cold water on hope revived that this time, the deal would be approved.

Immediately after, the British currency, the British pound, fell sharply, losing more than 1% in a few minutes.

The "Irish Safeguard" aims to prevent the reinstatement of a physical border between the Republic of Ireland (which remains within the EU) and the British province of Northern Ireland in order to to protect the fragile peace agreement of 1998. But the eurokeptic deputies of the Conservative Party of May fear to leave the country blocked indefinitely in the European networks.

The solution presented by May and Juncker last night is a complex "legally binding common instrument" by which it can denounce the EU if it considers that it acts in bad faith to impose a permanent "Irish safeguard".

The Prime Minister had promised to hold a new vote tomorrow if the vote was unsuccessful today, so that parliamentarians can say clearly whether they are for or against.

Brexit

without agreement, given the catastrophic economic consequences this would have for the country.

And if Parliament also rejects this option on Thursday, a third vote should be held on the possibility of asking the EU to postpone the Brexit date.

Split opinions

The Brexit issue divides the waters between the British public opinion.

"We voted in favor of leaving the European Union, so we must leave the European Union.We are a democracy," indignantly Suzanne Nicholson, 65, retired teacher who was demonstrating in front of a hundred people in front of the Westminster Parliament.

Brexit "is a very bad idea," said another protester, Pat Gillies, also 65 years old and retired, showing the division that reigns in the country.

Charles Walker, a party personality in May, warned that the defeat of today 's vote would prompt early parliamentary elections.

"If it does not succeed tonight, as surely as night after night, there will be general elections in a few days or weeks," he told BBC radio4, noting that "the current situation in Parliament is Is not sustainable ".

It could also start the organization of a second referendum after the vote of June 2016 that ended with 52% in favor of Brexit and launched this process.

This option comes up against the government's frontal rejection but has more and more supporters among British MPs who would like to cancel Brexit simply and clearly.

Juncker warned yesterday: "It's this deal where the Brexit could not take place." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte added on Twitter: "There is no alternative".

AFP Agency