No way out for May as she postpones further Brexit vote

The British Prime Minister yesterday postponed today’s vote on the ’Brexit’ agreement and acknowledged that the country is in the middle of a “constitutional crisis.” After a meeting of ministers, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that May would write a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk to request an extension of article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which established the UK’s exit from the European Union for 29th March. The spokesperson did not specify whether the letter would be sent yesterday or today, nor the length of the extension requested. The Prime Minister can choose to request the short two or three-month version, or a longer one with a clause that would allow her to break it if her agreement is approved next week.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned May that she will have to present a specific plan on how she intends to proceed. “EU leaders will need a specific plan from the United Kingdom to be able to make an informed decision,” Barnier said yesterday.

The ’Brexit’ process took another unexpected twist on Monday when the Parliamentary speaker, the pro-European conservative, John Bercow, banned another vote if no “substantial changes” had been introduced into the motion.