The British Parliament rejected by 432 votes to 202 on Tuesday evening, 15 January, the United Kingdom's agreement to withdraw from the EU, which was validated with the Twenty-seven on 25 November (see EUROPE 12145). British Prime Minister Theresa May is thus opposed by 230 votes, a particularly large gap.
The Prime Minister took note and deplored that, while Parliament had been "clear" that it "did not support the agreement", it had said "nothing" about what it wanted. "People deserve clarity", she responded, also citing European citizens living in the United Kingdom. Opposition Leader and Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn immediately announced, as planned, that he was tabling a motion of no confidence in the government, which Mrs May expects to be discussed on Wednesday.
Before this unambiguous vote, the Labour and SNP MEPs had chosen not to table amendments, Labour having notably withdrawn an amendment to reject the withdrawal agreement in an attempt to prevent an exit without agreement in favour of a new negotiating strategy.
Only one amendment was therefore put to the vote, namely the 'Baron' amendment, rejected by 600 votes to 24, which implied that the government was asking the EU for the right to end the safety net for Ireland ('Backstop') unilaterally, without the agreement of the Twenty-seven.
Before the vote, Mrs May stressed the "historical" nature of this decision, which will determine "the future of the country for generations". She also asked them to choose "certainty in the face of uncertainty, unity instead of division".
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, expressed his "regret" at the end of the vote and recalled that the EU had invested a lot of time in these negotiations and had shown "creativity and flexibility". It called on the country to clarify its intentions as soon as possible.
Similarly, European Council President Donald Tusk expressed regret at this outcome, according to his spokesman, and urged the United Kingdom to " clarify the next steps as soon as possible". The Twenty-seven will remain "united" and will continue to try to limit the consequences of Brexit and prepare for all scenarios, including that of an exit without agreement, he added. EUROPE will continue to follow this. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)