Labour tries to seize initiative on Brexit
British opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn moved a step closer to paving the way for another referendum on European Union membership by trying to use parliament to grab control of Brexit from Prime Minister Theresa May.With the clock ticking down to March 29, the date set in law for Brexit, the United Kingdom is in the deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project it joined in 1973.
After May's divorce deal with the EU was rejected by 432-202 lawmakers last week, the biggest defeat in modern British history, some lawmakers are trying to take control of Brexit from May's weakened minority government. Labour put forward an amendment seeking to force the government to give parliament time to consider and vote on options to prevent a "no deal" exit - a course May has repeatedly refused to rule out.Among the options, Labour said, should be a permanent customs union with the EU and "a public vote on a deal" - both proposals that May has ruled out.
The party, which is divided over Brexit, said the proposal did not mean that it supported a second vote and merely reflected its existing policy."It is time for Labor's alternative plan to take centre stage, while keeping all options on the table, including the option of a public vote," said Corbyn, who put his name to the amendment.
"Our amendment will allow MPs to vote on options to end this Brexit deadlock and prevent the chaos of a no deal," he said. However, it was unclear whether the Labour amendment would garner support in parliament.or which of the various options it mentioned would be ultimately become Labor's favored course.
As the British parliament, which traces its roots through a 1,000 years of history, tries to avoid what most lawmakers think would be a disorderly Brexit without an approved deal, there is still no clear majority for an alternative option.
