British MPs have narrowly approved in favour of a bill seeking to delay Brexit as they attempt to avoid a no-deal exit from the European Union.
In a third reading, the House of Commons voted by 313 votes to 312late on Wednesday, forcing Prime Minister Theresa May to seek an extension ofthe current Brexit date of April 12.
The bill, put forward by Labour Party’s Yvette Cooper, now needs tobe approved by the House of Lords before it becomes law. The European Unionwould also need to agree to a delay, the BBC reported.
The development came as talks between government negotiators andLabour were set to continue throughout Thursday after May and Labour leaderJeremy Corbyn agreed a “programme of work”.
A No 10 spokesman said that both parties showed”flexibility” and “a commitment to bring the… uncertainty to aclose”.
Corbyn said the meeting was “useful, but inconclusive”,adding there had not been “as much change as (he) had expected” inMay’s position.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Philip Hammond has suggested that he expectsBrussels to insist on a lengthy delay to Brexit and described a public vote toapprove any final deal as “a perfectly credible proposition”.
May wants to agree a policy with the Labour leader for MPs to vote onbefore April 10 – when the EU will hold an emergency summit on Brexit.
But if they cannot reach a consensus, she has pledged to allow MPs tovote on a number of options, including the deal she has negotiated with the EU,which has already been rejected twice by MPs.
In either event, May said she would ask the EU for a further shortextension to Brexit in the hope of getting an agreement passed by Parliamentbefore May 22, so that the UK does not have to take part in European elections.
Earlier, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker reiteratedthe EU’s position that Britain could get the Brexit deadline extended to May 22if May could persuade MPs to approve her withdrawal agreement.
But if British MPs failed to agree on the deal, “no furthershort extension will be possible,” he warned, citing the risk ofjeopardising the European Parliament elections in late May.