Prime Minister May's defeat in the Parliament on January 15 was unprecedented, with even her own party members voting against her.
British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal was rejected in the Parliament with the House of Commons voting 432 versus 202 against the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, promptly tabled a no-confidence motion against May's government. If the motion is successful, a new government has to be formed within 14 days or a general election will be held.
Indications from parties suggest that May will win the no-confidence motion. The Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland which supports her government and other pro-Brexit groups are likely to stand by May during the vote. Her situation is worrisome because her party does not have a majority in Parliament.
Why did the House reject May's deal?
Prime Minister May's defeat in the Parliament on January 15 was unprecedented, with even her own party members voting against her. Hardcore Brexit supporters believe that the UK should be able to exit the EU without any deal or compromises, which is why they celebrated May's defeat. They dismissed the prime minister's proposal saying that a much better deal can be negotiated.
Another group which rejected the vote was the members of the House who want to remain in the EU.
What is May's Brexit deal?
Also known as the Withdrawal Agreement, May's Brexit deal aims to work out a settlement which ensures a seamless exit of the UK from the EU. One of the main elements of the 585-page document is that it provides a time-limited transition period to maintain stability in the countries during free trade negotiations and political and security agreements. The deal proposes time from March 29 to December 2020.
During this time, the UK will not have any say in the new policies of the EU but will continue to pay into the budget of the bloc. There is also scope to extend the transition period, depending on future agreements.
While political analysts have hailed the agreement, saying that it has benefits for both sides, the Parliament clearly disagrees.
Despite the outright defeat, a government spokesperson told the press that May does not believe all is over for the Brexit deal yet.
What are her next possible steps?
If the no-confidence motion against May fails, then these are the ways forward for the prime minister and her exit deal.
May could ask EU for more concessions and try to bring a better deal back to the House. The EU has not indicated that it will give any more discounts, therefore, this would be a tough spot for her. She could also ask for more time and postpone Brexit. However, the Parliament would not want to give more time to May unless her government had a clear plan for the future.
Currently, the Conservative Party does not have a majority in the House, which is limiting May's prospects in passing this deal. She could call for a general election to increase her support in the Parliament but there is a good chance it could backfire.
There is a possibility of a second Brexit referendum, where voters will have to pick either May's exit plan or choose to remain in the union. May and her government had ruled out this possibility for now.
An unlikely scenario is that the UK walks out of the union without any deal. Analysts say that this move, which is opposed by most members of the House at present, would wreak havoc.
