LONDON • If Britain's Parliament were the final arbiter of Brexit, Tuesday night's vote would have been historic. It would have been a crowning achievement for Prime Minister Theresa May: Leavers and Remainers, Conservatives and Labour Party members debated for six hours and voted seven times before a majority finally said what they want to happen.
It was not any of that. The European Union (EU) has already said "no" - in more languages and ways than is reasonable to count - to the one demand the majority voted in favour of: an alternative to the hated provision of Mrs May's Brexit deal that guarantees an open border in Ireland. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, deputy chief negotiator Sabine Weyand and French President Emmanuel Macron have all said the so-called backstop is not up for renegotiation.
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