British Parliament backs Brexit delay, but Europe still has to approve



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British MPs voted to ask the European Union to defer Brexit, two weeks before leaving the UK.

The UK is moving closer to the 29 March deadline set for Brexit without any EU-approved withdrawal agreement and a prime minister who appears to have lost control of his cabinet.

On Thursday, MEPs voted to ask EU leaders to simply postpone Brexit in order to avoid the chaotic end of their 46-year partnership.

The vote also allowed the May agreement twice rejected to return to Parliament next week.

But a chaotic "no agreement" exit on March 29 will still take place if the May strategy is again rejected and the 27 of the EU do not approve an extension.

European leaders said they would take into account any request from London.

But they also want to know what the duration of this extension will be – and what it would be for – before meeting in Brussels next week.

The approval would then allow him to request the deadline until June 30 so that the treaty can be ratified.

But she warned that if her agreement was rejected, the Brexit could be deferred much longer.

Great Britain would also participate in the European Parliament elections in May, which would cause further delay in the country's reintegration into European politics after the launch of Brexit.

The Brexit rethinks?

EU Council chief Donald Tusk said on Thursday that the bloc could approve a long delay "if the UK considers it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and reach a consensus around it. this".

It reflected the longstanding position of Brussels that a closer relationship is possible if May abandons her opposition to remaining in the EU customs union.

The May deal was blocked mainly by a disagreement over the Irish "backstop", a measure aimed at maintaining trade and avoiding friction at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 39; Ireland.

A sense of chaos has invaded the House of Commons this week as lawmakers held a series of votes on ideas about what they could do next.

MEPs have twice rejected the agreement reached by Prime Minister Theresa May with the other 27 countries of the European Union – in January and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, they decided not to leave without an agreement but still did not have a clear roadmap on the way forward three years after the launch of Brexit in an extremely controversial referendum.

Legislators have also rejected a call to use this moment to hold a second Brexit referendum – a blow to the hopes of a large number of Britons who still dream of retaining their European identity.

Anxious companies are pleading for action to be taken and US President Donald Trump is "surprised to see how all this has disappeared".

"Parliament's rejection of the lack of agreement and the desire for an extension shows that there is still common sense in Westminster," tweeted the influential lobby CBI companies after the vote.

"But without a radically new approach, companies fear

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