May averts more resignations by offering MPs chance to reject no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May bought herself more time Tuesday to strike a better Brexit deal with the European Union (EU) by offering rebellious MPs the chance to vote against leaving the bloc with no deal or extending the departure date.

With the planned March 29 departure date looming, and with threats of resignations by some of her own top ministers, May unleashed her surprise package of concessions to a packed House of Commons.

MAKE OR BREAK

May insisted she still wanted Britain to leave the EU with a deal on March 29, but was facing pressure on several fronts from members of her own Conservative Party as well as lawmakers from opposition parties.

Although MPs will debate Brexit in the House of Commons on Feb. 27, political commentators in London said the big battleground will center around mid-March when Brexit will reach a make-or-break crunch time.

Addressing MPs, May said the government has now published a paper assessing readiness for a no-deal Brexit.

"I believe that if we have to, we will ultimately make a success of a no-deal. But this paper provides an honest assessment of the very serious challenges it would bring in the short-term, and further reinforces why the best way for the House of Commons to honor the referendum result is to leave with a deal."

May said MPs will be given a meaningful vote by March 12 on accepting or rejecting her Brexit deal. If they reject it, as they have already done several times, MPs will then decide by March 13 if they support leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement on March 29.

"The United Kingdom will only leave without a deal on 29 March if there is explicit consent in this House (of Commons) for that outcome," said May.

May added if MPs reject her deal and also reject leaving the EU with no deal, the government will on March 14, put forward a proposal to extend the Article 50 period which has laid down the current proposed departure date.

DELAYED BREXIT

May refused to be drawn on the length of any delay, but said she would prefer no extension and wanted Britain to leave as planned with a deal on March 29.

"Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended. Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on 29 March," May told MPs.

With elections for the EU also looming, May said a short extension would almost certainly have to be a one-off.

"If we had not taken part in the European Parliament elections, it would be extremely difficult to extend again, so it would create a much sharper cliff edge in a few months' time. An extension cannot take no-deal off the table."

May said: "Ultimately the choices we face would remain unchanged, leave with a deal, leave with no deal, or have no Brexit."

One leading political writer in the Times newspaper said senior government figures believed May had pushed Britain closer to, rather than further from, a no deal Brexit.

Anna Soubry, one of the three Conservative MPs who resigned last week to join a new independent group of politicians, accused May of kicking the can down the road and fudging the issue.

May also came under a fierce attack from Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labor Party.

Accusing May of "grotesquely reckless Brexit delays", Corbyn said: "The prime minister continues to say it is her deal or no deal, but this House has decisively rejected her deal and has clearly rejected no deal. It is the prime minister's obstinacy that is blocking a resolution."

Corbyn's Labor Party has now moved towards demanding a second referendum if it can't get its own rival Brexit deal agreed by the parliament.

The Guardian newspaper, meanwhile, said May seemed to have done enough to avert government resignations.

The early indications are, said the Guardian, that May has done enough to satisfy those Conservatives who were planning to resign from government to back an amendment led by former Labor front-bencher Yvette Cooper.

GUARDED REACTIONS

There are guarded reactions for May's latest moves from the business world, eager to avert Britain crashing out of the EU with no deal.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), commented: "Moves to avert no deal in March are essential. There are now proposals from parliament and government. But they are just one step. To avoid a hammer blow to firms and livelihoods, delay cannot simply be an extension of stalemate. Compromise is the only way."

Claire Walker from the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "While this is a giant political leap for the prime minister, this is only a small step towards the clarity and precision that businesses need to chart their future direction. The overriding priority is still to assure businesses and communities that an unwanted no deal' scenario will not happen by default on March 29."

Edwin Morgan from the Institute of Directors, said: "The message from our members is clear, nearly 80 percent would choose to avoid a no-deal outcome. Too much information about that scenario is still missing - including from our own government - for firms to be ready in a few short weeks. Seeing the impasse continue may not be comfortable for businesses, but a disorderly exit could bring unbearable disruption for firms in sectors from farming to finance, manufacturing to business services, across the UK."