Pressure built on Prime Minister Theresa May to rule out Britain leaving the EU without a deal on Tuesday, as she met her cabinet ahead of a statement to parliament.
“Three junior ministers published a joint appeal to May in the mass-circulation Daily Mail newspaper: “Act immediately to ensure that we are not swept over the precipice on March 29.
“The way to do that is to seek a short extension to Article 50 to allow the negotiations to be completed, the legislation to pass and for the panic that businesses face to subside,’’ Richard Harrington, Margot James and Claire Perry wrote.
Other lawmakers in May’s Conservatives, including several cabinet ministers, have urged her to rule out a no-deal Brexit.
May will make a statement to parliament’s main elected house, the Commons, later before several votes on Wednesday on her motion setting out the planned next steps in the Brexit process.
She has promised lawmakers another “meaningful vote” by March 12 on the Brexit deal, after she suffered a crushing defeat in January.
May insisted on Monday that an agreement for Britain to leave the EU as scheduled on March 29 remained within grasp.
Meanwhile her negotiators continue to seek assurances from the EU on a controversial “backstop” arrangement in the withdrawal agreement to guarantee an open Irish border.
Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, adding to the pressure on May, said on Monday that he will back a second referendum on Brexit if, as expected, a Labour amendment is defeated on Wednesday. (dpa/NAN)