May admits she lacks backing for Brexit deal

British Prime Minister Theresa May admitted she did not have enough support to pass her European Union withdrawal deal on Monday night as some in her party called on her to quit and parliament plotted to wrest the Brexit process away from her government.

At one of the most important junctures for the UK in at least a generation, politics was at fever pitch and, nearly three years after the 2016 EU membership referendum, it was still unclear how, when or if Brexit would take place.

With May weakened, ministers lined up to insist she was still in charge and to deny any part in, or knowledge of, a weekend plot to demand that she name a date to leave office.

Amid the chaos, it was unclear if or when May would bring the divorce deal she agreed with the EU back to parliament – the deal was defeated by 149 votes on March 12 and by 230 votes on January 15.

“As things stand there is not sufficient support,” she said.

With speculation swirling around her future, parliament prepared to try to seize control of the Brexit process from the government in a series of votes due from 10pm (12am in SA).

One proposal, put forward by Oliver Letwin, member of May’s Conservative Party, seeks to change the rules of parliament on Wednesday so legislators can express support for different Brexit options, such as remaining in the EU single market or in a customs union, in so-called indicative votes.

May said the government would oppose this, but another source said a majority of MPs were likely to back the plan.

Last week, the EU agreed to delay Britain’s original March 29 departure date because of the deadlock.

Now, it will leave the EU on May 22 if May’s deal is approved by parliament this week. If not, it will have until April 12 to outline its plans.

May has refused to give up on her deal passing this week.

She said another referendum, a new agreement, or not leaving the EU at all were among alternatives that had no majority.

The bottom line remained that if her deal and no deal were rejected, Britain would have to seek a longer delay.

But opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said May’s approach to Brexit had become a national embarrassment that risked allowing Britain to crash out of the European Union without any deal.

Earlier, May’s divided cabinet of senior ministers met to discuss a way forward with some reports saying ministers had “war-gamed” a parliamentary election.

Some Conservative MPs openly said she should quit.

“The prime minister does not have the confidence of the parliamentary party,” Andrew Bridgen, an MP who supports Brexit, said.