British Prime Minister Theresa May’s
Brexit divorce deal may not be, as one Opposition lawmaker called it, “as dead as the deadest dodo”. May has until the start of next week to come back to Parliament with a Plan B—and
Britain has just 10 weeks until it is due to leave the bloc, with or without a deal, on March 29. Here’s plan B:
SECOND TIME LUCKY
The government could try again, re-submitting the agreement to parliament after tweaking it. But while
EU leaders have offered “clarifi cations” to the deal, they insist the 585-page withdrawal agreement cannot be reopened.
EU would likely be more receptive to a softer Brexit deal that sees Britain remain part of the bloc’s single market for goods and services.
DELAY BRITAIN’S EXIT
Britain might seek an extension to the two-year exit process that is due to expire on March 29.
A delay would likely also be needed in the event of two other possible scenarios: a general election, or a second referendum.
Any delay to the date of Brexit would require unanimous approval from leaders of the EU’s remaining 27 member states.
HOLD AN ELECTION
The main Opposition
Labour Party says it will try to trigger an election by calling a no-confi dence vote in the whole government.
If the government loses a no-confi dence vote, it would have 14 days to overturn the result by winning lawmakers’ confi dence in a new vote.
Barring that, there would be an election, a process that takes fi ve to six weeks
SECOND REFERENDUM
The government is fi rmly opposed, but has warned that it is increasingly likely that the decision to leave the EU could be reversed if May’s deal is rejected.
It’s unclear whether a majority of legislators would support a new referendum, or what the question would be.
There’s a strong chance any new referendum would be as divisive as the first.
NO DEAL
If the divorce deal is not approved, altered or put on hold, Britain will cease to be an EU member at 11pm London time on March 29.
The Bank of England has warned that ‘no-deal’ could plunge Britain into its deepest recession in nearly a century.
Businesses warn the sudden end to longstanding trading agreements with the EU could see gridlock at British ports and shortages of food and medicines.