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#Brexit – House of Commons rejects Withdrawal Agreement for the third time

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Today’s (29 March) British MPs rejected the EU Withdrawal Agreement for the third time, by 286 to 344 votes.  The Commission issued its response, without delay, writes Catherine Feore.

“The Commission regrets the negative vote in the House of Commons today. As per the European Council (Article 50) decision on 22 March, the period provided for in Article 50(3) is extended to 12 April. It will be for the UK to indicate the way forward before that date, for consideration by the European Council.

A “no-deal” scenario on 12 April is now a likely scenario. The EU has been preparing for this since December 2017 and is now fully prepared for a “no-deal” scenario at midnight on 12 April. The EU will remain united. The benefits of the Withdrawal Agreement, including a transition period, will in no circumstances be replicated in a “no-deal” scenario. Sectoral mini-deals are not an option.

President of the European Council, Donald Tusk responded within 6 minutes of the vote announced that  in view of the rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement by the House of Commons, he had decided to call a European Council on 10 April.

In their closing comments, opposition MPs called for either a general election, or a ‘People’s Vote’, or both. The SNP was alone in calling for immediate revocation of Article 50; an option that is supported by a petition that has received almost six million signatures.

Some members of the European Research Group (ERG) reluctantly voted for the agreement including arch-Brexiteers Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson.

The Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP) leader in the House of Commons said that he would put the union of Northern Ireland and Great Britain ahead of any considerations.  Dodds said in an interview on the BBC following the vote that he would support remaining in the EU rather than risking Northern Ireland’s position in the UK. In a statement the DUP said that there main issue was the backstop arrangements in the agreement:

May secured the vote of many ERG members by her promise to stand down once the first phase of Brexit was completed, allowing a new leader of the Conservative Party to take the lead on the negotiations on the future relationship with the EU. It is difficult to see how May could remain in post, but there are no obvious contenders and the UK is now facing a new cliff edge of 12 April.

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