With a key Parliament vote on her Brexit plan looming, Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that a rejection of the deal could take Britain into "uncharted waters." She also raised the specter of a general election.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Grant
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Theresa May has warned there is a "very real risk of no Brexit" or elections if Parliament rejects her plan for Britain to leave the EU.
May's government is widely expected to lose a Tuesday vote in Parliament on her Brexit plan reached with Brussels last month, with the opposition Labour Party, the prime minister's nominal allies in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and some members of her conservative party saying they will not support the deal.
It is unclear what would happen if the deal fails, but it could put Britain's Brexit plans in jeopardy and May's job on the line.
May told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that Britain "would truly be in uncharted waters" if the Brexit deal reached after two years of intense negotiations with the EU was rejected less than four months before the country is set to leave the block on March 29.
A failure of the Brexit deal to pass would "mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal," she said.
New elections or a conservative revolt against the government could also lead to Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party coming to power, May warned.
EU: Deal cannot be renegotiated
Downing Street has insisted Tuesday's vote will go ahead amid calls from members of Parliament to renegotiate the Brexit deal with Brussels.
The EU has said it may consider "cosmetic" changes to the non-binding political agreement on future relations, but the legally binding 585-page withdrawal agreement cannot be renegotiated.
European Council President Donald Tusk said Sunday he had spoken to May by phone ahead "an important week for the fate of Brexit."
Pro-Brexit lawmakers argue the deal binds Britain too closely to the EU, while europhiles say it creates barriers between the UK and its biggest trading partner and casts the future relationship with the bloc into uncertainty.
The biggest stumbling block centers around the so-called "backstop," a provision designed to keep an open border between EU member Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland.
The temporary measure would keep Britain under EU customs rules until permanent new trade arrangements are made. But critics say it could tie Britain to the EU indefinitely, lead to Northern Ireland being treated differently, and tie the UK's hands in striking trade deals with non-EU states.
Thousands protest in London
The Brexit debate has deeply divided the country. On Sunday, riot police were deployed in London as thousands of pro-Brexit protesters led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson were countered by pro-EU demonstrators.
Pro-EU lawmakers have pushed the idea of a second referendum on Britain's EU membership after the first vote narrowly passed in June 2016, but the government has opposed a new vote.
Meanwhile, EU supporters are hoping the European Court of Justice will rule on Monday that Britain has the right to unilaterally stop Brexit.
Who's who in Brexit?
Britain is leaving the European Union, but who exactly is directing the drama? DW takes a look at the people involved in the messy divorce.
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Britain's embattled skipper: Theresa May
May became prime minister after David Cameron resigned from the post in the wake of the Brexit referendum vote in June 2016. Despite her position, she has struggled to define what kind of Brexit her government wants. Hardliners within her Conservative party want her to push for a clean break. Others want Britain to stay close to the bloc. The EU itself has rejected many of May's Brexit demands.
The leader of the British Labour Party has no formal role in the Brexit talks, but he is influential as the head of the main opposition party. Labour has tried to pressure the Conservative government, which has a thin majority in Parliament, to seek a "softer" Brexit. But Corbyn's own advocacy has been lukewarm. The long-time leftist voted for the UK to leave the European Community (EC) in 1975.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/A. Chown
Britain's boisterous Brexiteer: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson's turbulent two years as UK foreign secretary came to an abrupt end with his resignation on July 9. The conservative had been a key face for the Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum campaign. Johnson disapproves of the "soft Brexit" sought by PM May, arguing that a complete break from the EU might be preferable. He became the second Cabinet member within 24 hours to quit...
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/M. Turner
Britain's cheery ex-delegate: David Davis
David Davis headed Britain's Department for Exiting the EU and was the country's chief negotiator in the talks before he quit on July 8, less than 24 hours before Downing Street announced Boris Johnson's departure. Davis had long opposed Britain's EU membership and was picked for the role for this reason. Davis was involved in several negotiating rounds with his EU counterpart, Michel Barnier.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/V: Mayo
Britain's former Brexit secretary: Dominic Raab
Raab replaced Davis in early July 2018. But he only lasted four months, resigning a day after Theresa May presented a draft withdrawal plan to her cabinet. Raab previously worked for a Palestinian negotiator in the Oslo peace process and as an international lawyer in Brussels advising on European Union and World Trade Organization law.
Jeremy Hunt was Britain's Health Secretary until he replaced Boris Johnson as foreign secretary in early July 2018. The 51-year-old supported Britain remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum, but said in late 2017 that he had changed his mind in response to the "the arrogance of the EU Commission" during Brexit talks. He has vowed to help get Britain a "great Brexit deal."
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Britain's firebrand: Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage was the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) until July 2016. Under his stewardship, the party helped pressure former Prime Minister David Cameron into calling the EU referendum. He was also a prominent activist in the Leave campaign in the lead-up to the vote. Farage still has some influence over Brexit talks due to his popularity with pro-Leave voters.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Florin
Brexit's banker: Arron Banks
Businessman Arron Banks is a friend of Nigel Farage, and donated a significant sum to the former UKIP leader's Leave.EU campaign – making him the group's biggest financial backer. He had several meetings with Russian officials ahead of the referendum, but has denied allegations of collusion with Moscow in the Brexit vote, branding the claims a "political witch hunt."
Image: Getty Images/J. Taylor
Europe's honchos: Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk
EU Commission President Juncker (left) and EU Council President Tusk (right) share two of the bloc's highest posts. Juncker heads the EU's executive. Tusk represents the governments of the 27 EU countries — the "EU 27." Both help formulate the EU's position in Brexit negotiations. What Tusk says is particularly noteworthy: His EU 27 masters — not the EU commission — must agree to any Brexit deal.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Vanden
Europe's steely diplomat: Michel Barnier
The former French foreign minister and European commissioner has become a household name across the EU since his appointment as the bloc's chief Brexit negotiator in October 2016. Despite his prominence, Barnier has limited room to maneuver. He is tasked with following the EU 27's strict guidelines and must regularly report back to them during the negotiations.
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
Ireland's uneasy watchman: Leo Varadkar
The Irish PM has been one of the most important EU 27 leaders in Brexit talks. Britain has said it will leave the EU's customs union and single market. That could force the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, to put up customs checks along the border with Northern Ireland, a British province. But Varadkar's government has repeatedly said the return of a "hard" border is unacceptable.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/B. Lawless/PA Wire
Europe's power-brokers: the EU 27
The leaders of the EU 27 governments have primarily set the EU's negotiating position. They have agreed to the negotiating guidelines for chief negotiator Barnier and have helped craft the common EU position for Tusk and Juncker to stick to. The individual EU 27 governments can also influence the shape of any Brexit outcome because they must unanimously agree to a final deal.
