'Brexit vote will definitely happen'
British PM Theresa May has said the Commons vote on her Brexit deal will "definitely" go ahead next week.She told the BBC she was seeking assurances from the EU to address the concerns of MPs, as well as specific measures relating to Northern Ireland.She also said she would look at giving Parliament a greater say in how the UK's future relationship is negotiated.
But a poll carried out for the People's Vote campaign suggests fewer than one in four voters support her Brexit deal.The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.A deal on the terms of the UK's divorce and the framework of future relations has been agreed between the prime minister and the EU - but it needs to pass a vote by MPs in Parliament before it is accepted.MPs are due to vote on whether to back May's Brexit plan in the next two weeks.
The crunch vote was due to take place in December but was postponed at the last minute as May faced almost certain defeat amid opposition from many of her MPs, as well as Labor and other parties.Asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr if the vote would "definitely" go ahead in the second week of January, she replied "yes, we are going to hold the vote".She said she truly believed it was a "good deal" for the country and that it was up to its opponents to spell out the alternatives, suggesting the UK would be in "uncharted territory" if it was rejected.
Asked what had changed since she pulled the vote last month, she said the EU had agreed to some "changes" and she was continuing to talk to them to try and give MPs the "confidence" to support the deal.She said there were a "number of ways" of giving MPs more input in the next phase of the Brexit process, including allowing it a real say in shaping the "mandate for the negotiations for the future relationship".
Asked whether she was prepared to stand down as PM and let someone else take over talks over future relations, May - who survived a vote of no confidence last month - said she was committed to "delivering on Brexit" and was not going to "play the game" of discussing her future."The deal is on the table. We've got people who want to see their perfect Brexit. And I would say don't let the search for the perfect be the enemy of the good. The danger there is that we end up with no Brexit at all."
Meanwhile, a poll of more than 25,000 Britons suggests Labour would be punished by voters if the party either ends up backing the government's deal or does not actively oppose it.The YouGov poll, carried out for the People's Vote campaign which is demanding another referendum, suggests 75% of Labor supporters would prefer a final say on Brexit.Corbyn has previously said the decision to leave the EU cannot be reversed.
