UK Parliament resumes ahead of upcoming Brexit vote

Members of Parliament will return today for the new parliamentary session, with a debate on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal likely to consume the coming days.

In December, May delayed the vote on her Brexit deal when it became clear it would be overwhelmingly voted down. With the vote now scheduled for next week, May appears no closer to securing a parliamentary majority for her deal, with Brexit due on March 29.

European leaders have held firm on not revising the agreement, only offering reassurances affirming that the so-called Irish backstop is intended to be temporary, if implemented at all. These have not mollified hardline Brexiteers in May’s party or the Northern Irish DUP. Furthermore, the opposition Labour Party seems not to have budged from opposing the deal either.

The impasse has made a second referendum on Brexit more likely, though May and Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn remain opposed. Yet, with May’s deal likely to be voted down, it may be the only available option to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

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