Theresa May Postpones Her Moment of Brexit Reckoning
Britain’s prime minister gets a few more days to rally her party behind her deal.
Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in London.
Photographer: Luke MacGregor/BloombergIf Britain’s Parliament were the final arbiter of Brexit, Tuesday night’s vote would have been historic. It would have been a crowning achievement for Prime Minister Theresa May: Leavers and Remainers, Conservatives and Labour Party members debated for six hours and voted seven times before a majority finally said what they want to happen.
It wasn’t any of that. The European Union has already said “no” — in more languages and ways than is reasonable to count — to the one demand the majority voted in favor of: an alternative to the hated provision of May’s Brexit deal that guarantees an open border in Ireland. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, deputy chief negotiator Sabine Weyand, and French President Emmanuel Macron have all said the so-called backstop is not up for renegotiation.