May: Parliament support 'insufficient' for Brexit deal

LONDON

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she still does not have "sufficient support" to bring her Brexit deal back to the House of Commons for a third vote.

Making a statement at parliament on her meetings with EU leaders last week in Brussels, May said she wanted the U.K. to be able to leave the EU on March 29.

However, conscious of the need to protect the union and of the damage that a no-deal departure from the EU could do in Northern Ireland, she defended the short extension secured from the EU.

"I hope we can all agree, we are now at the moment of decision," she said.

Explicitly rejecting a "No Brexit" outcome, May said her government would not allow the U.K. to leave the EU without a deal unless the House of Commons agreed to it.

"A slow Brexit which extends Article 50 beyond 22nd May, forces the British people to take part in European Elections and gives up control of any of our borders, laws, money or trade is not a Brexit that will bring the British people together," she added.

May stressed, however, that in the absence of parliamentary consent to a withdrawal agreement by the end of the week would force London to seek a longer extension from the EU.

She said this would entail U.K. voters’ participation in EU elections next May and that the government would have been unable to "guarantee Brexit".

May added that her government remained committed to seeking consensus in the House of Commons if her deal is not passed, though she added she was "skeptical" of this process.

"The [indicative] votes could lead to an outcome that is un-negotiable with the EU," she told lawmakers.

"No government could give a blank check to commit to an outcome without knowing what it is," she said.

"So, I cannot commit the government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this House [of Commons], but I do commit to engaging constructively with this process," she added.

The EU agreed to a Brexit extension until May 22 if Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal is approved by the House of Commons this week. If the deal is not approved by parliament, the EU would allow an extension to April 12.

U.K. voters decided to leave the bloc after a more than 40-year-long membership after a referendum in 2016.