Brexit: May's "new" EU deal faces critical vote
Britain’s parliament is to vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's latest Brexit plan, a day after she secured last-minute changes to the deal from the EU. May met EU leaders in Strasbourg on Monday in a bid to salvage the vision of Brexit she set out when she came to power nearly three years ago.
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The two sides then announced "legally binding changes" to the old agreement aimed at addressing Britain's needs and getting the deal through parliament.
"Now is the time to come together, to back this improved Brexit deal, and to deliver on the instruction of the British people," May said.
The three-part package of changes effectively aims to resolve a key sticking point for British MPs over the so-called backstop plan to keep open the border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.
However, the legal risk of Britain being stuck in EU trade arrangements after Brexit fundamentally "remains unchanged", according to the UK government's chief legal advisor on Tuesday.
Attorney general Geoffrey Cox said last-minute new agreements "reduce the risk" of Britain being "indefinitely and involuntarily" held in the Irish border backstop. However "the legal risk remains unchanged" that Britain would have no legal means of exiting without European Union agreement.
Labour says May has failed
Late Monday, Britain's main opposition Labour Party announced it would vote against the deal, saying May had "failed".
"This evening's agreement with the European Commission does not contain anything approaching the changes Theresa May promised parliament," said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
"It's this deal or Brexit might not happen at all," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said after their meeting. "There will be no third chance."
May's deal with the remaining 27 EU nations, after months of negotiations, suffered an historic defeat in the House of Commons in January.
A new government defeat could see parliament try to take control over what happens next.
May has promised to give lawmakers a vote on Wednesday on whether Britain should simply leave without any deal at all.
If MPs would defeat the "no-deal" scenario, it would be followed on Thursday with a vote on requesting a delay from the EU.
The other 27 nations would need to unanimously back the extension and decide how long it should be.
Their leaders will meet in Brussels for a summit on 21-22 March .
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