UK Parliament has allowed May to renegotiate Brexit

The vote took place a few hours after Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to Parliament to renegotiate the EU exit agreement in Brussels and to ask members of her conservative party to support the motion on the Irish border.

Submitted by Conservative MP Graham Brady, the amendment, which was pbaded by 317 votes to 301, proposes to eliminate the safeguard at the Irish border by an "alternative arrangement".

The European leaders, however, renegotiated of the divorce agreement reached with May of last November – a legally binding text of 585 pages – after more than a year and a half of delicate negotiations.

Speaking after the vote, the President of the European Council, Donald TuskHe said the agreement "is not open to renegotiation" and "remains the best way to ensure an orderly withdrawal from the UK of the European Union".

Also after knowing the result, May told Parliament that there was now a "substantial and lasting" majority in the House of Commons to leave the EU with an agreement, although he admitted that renegotiation "will not be easy".

The House of Commons rejected the agreement this month largely because of its opposition to the Irish bailout. Then, Brexit being mired in chaos, MPs debated and voted today several non-binding amendments on what needs to be done now.

At the beginning of Tuesday's session in Parliament, and at a 180-degree turn, after repeatedly baderting that there was no alternative to its agreement with the EU , May urged lawmakers to support Brady 's amendment.

The Prime Minister has asked MEPs to send a "categorical message" to the European Union, explaining to them that the Parliament does not accept the protection of the Irish border, and has promised to return to Brussels to renegotiate this clause with the European bloc.

However, in a retreat for May, MEPs also today approved another amendment to the Brexit agreement that rejects the UK leaving the EU without an agreement.

Although the motion, presented by conservative Caroline SpelmanThis is not legally binding, it puts pressure on the government to avoid abrupt withdrawal if it does not ratify an exit treaty with Brussels.

The amendment was supported by 318 deputies of various formations and 310 voted against.

The pound fell after the rejection. Around 8:45 pm GMT, the pound fell to 1.3060 dollar, against 1.3165 dollar a few minutes earlier. The pound sterling also fell against the European currency, to 87.53 pence for one euro, after falling to 86.82 pence shortly before the vote.

During the same session, MEPs rejected two other amendments explicitly asking the head of government to ask for an extension of the deadline for exit from the EU if, on 26 February, she had not been able to to ratify a treaty in Parliament.

The other rejected amendment, presented by the Labor Party, the main opposition, proposed to vote on all possible options for Brexit, including a second referendum.