House of Commons to begin bruising Brexit debate on Wednesday

Debate on the Brexit deal will resume in the British parliament today. With the United Kingdom’s 26 March departure date from the EU looming, a parliamentary vote is scheduled for 15 January.

With opposition from the Democratic Unionist Party and the Conservative backbenchers, confidence in the passing of the deal is waning. However, British Prime Minister Theresa May is hoping to gain their support by offering concessions on Northern Ireland and enabling parliament to have a greater influence in the next negotiation stage. Also, May is engaging in talks with European leaders for greater concessions.

If the Brexit agreement is not passed, May stated that the United Kingdom would be in “uncharted territory” and it would be difficult to meet the 26 March deadline. This strengthens the possibility of a second Brexit referendum where a recent poll by YouGov shows 46 percent of Briton want to remain in the EU against 39 percent wanting to leave.

Expect the parliamentary vote to occur even if May is unable to gain the support of the backbenchers. However, a failure to pass the Brexit agreement would increase momentum for a second referendum.

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