British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday offered the possibility that lawmakers in the United Kingdom could vote to delay Brexit until after the looming March 29 deadline if they are unable to come to an agreement on how to leave the European Union.
{mosads}May told parliament that if it rejected both the deal negotiated with the EU and a “no deal” option in which the U.K. leaves the continental body without an agreement in place, the government will put forward a motion that would provide a “short, limited extension” on Brexit.
Parliament is set to vote on May’s Brexit deal on March 12. If that is rejected, May said the government would offer the extension option on March 14.
May’s suggestion comes one day after the opposition Labour Party said it would back a second referendum on Brexit if the group’s proposed amendments for the arrangement were rejected by Parliament.
The lower house in the British Parliament, the House of Commons, voted last month 432-202 to reject May’s proposed Brexit deal that she’d brokered with the EU.
The overwhelming defeat prompted critics of Brexit to call for a new referendum, but May and other conservative officials still largely back leaving the EU and have cautioned a second referendum could prove divisive.
U.K. voters said in a 2016 referendum that they wanted to leave the continental body.
Barring an extension, U.K. leaders have until March 29 to approve a Brexit deal, or Brexit will move forward without any arrangement in place.