What Does a Parliamentary Vote on Brexit Mean? Q&A

Theresa May's Brexit Speech in 50 Seconds

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U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May pledged Tuesday to give both houses of Parliament a vote on the final Brexit deal she strikes with the European Union. The pound surged on the news. But does the vote actually change anything?

By the time the deal gets to Parliament, Britain will already be in the two-year countdown phase that is triggered when Article 50 is invoked. Unless an extension is granted, the country falls out of the EU two years after the start of talks. That means that the choice faced by lawmakers will be either to accept the deal or force Britain to leave the EU without an agreement.