EU rules out Brexit renegotiation

BERLIN/STRASBOURG, Dec 11 

Prime Minister Theresa May sought Angela Merkel’s support on Tuesday to save her floundering Brexit deal but the European Union ruled out renegotiating the divorce treaty, after May postponed a parliamentary vote she admitted she would lose.

Less than four months until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29, May warned British lawmakers that if they rejected her deal then the only other options were a disorderly no-deal divorce, or a reversal of Brexit that would defy the will of those who voted for it.

A day after pulling the vote in the face of hostility from lawmakers, May rushed from London for breakfast in The Hague with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and then a meeting in Berlin with Europe’s most powerful leader, German Chancellor Merkel in a frantic bid to save her deal.

The message from the EU was clear: It will give “clarifications” but will not countenance reopening the treaty. “The deal we achieved is the best possible. It’s the only deal possible. There is no room whatsoever for renegotiation,” European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said in an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In rainy Berlin, a hitch with May’s car door briefly trapped her inside, delaying her red carpet handshake with Merkel.

The British parliament will vote on a deal before January 21, May’s spokeswoman said. If there is no satisfactory deal by then, parliament will still be given a debate on the issue. The British pound, which has lost 25 cents against the US dollar since the 2016 referendum, was up 0.4 percent at $1.2615, a recovery of sorts after falling 1.6 percent on Monday.

The most contentious issue has been the Irish “backstop”, an insurance policy that would keep Britain in a customs union with the EU in the absence of a better way to avoid border checks between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. May’s critics say it could leave Britain subject to EU rules indefinitely. Juncker said neither side intended for the backstop ever to take effect, but it had to be part of the deal. — Reuters

Chaos, or keep calm and carry on: What happens now in the UK?

Back to Parliament: The government has said it intends to hold a vote before January 21. But, critics are already lining up to say that May will not be able to get enough from EU leaders to make members of parliament change their mind about a deal they say is flawed. By law, if the vote is held and the deal is rejected, ministers have 21 days to state how they intend to proceed.

Resign: May could resign as leader of the Conservative Party, triggering an internal contest to replace her without a general election.

Ousted: A long-running effort by some members of May’s own party to get rid of her could gain renewed impetus. If 48 out of 315 Conservative lawmakers want her to go, the party holds a leadership ballot. If she loses, there is an internal contest to replace her without a general election.

Second referendum: The route to a second referendum on Brexit, or a People’s Vote, is unclear but would almost certainly require the backing of the government of the day. A new referendum can be called only if it is approved by Parliament.

Delay or cancel Brexit: The government could seek to extend the negotiating period with the EU to give it time to try to reach a better deal, hold a General Election, or conduct a second referendum.