News analysis

PM May buys time for party to decide on Brexit

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

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.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 31, 2019, with the headline PM May buys time for party to decide on Brexit. Subscribe