Warnings of chaotic 'no-deal' grow amid UK Brexit deadlock

April 02, 2019

LONDON (AP) — The alarms are flashing, the cliff-edge is coming closer — but can Britain avoid tumbling out of the European Union? After lawmakers rejected the government's Brexit deal on three occasions, and twice failed to agree on any other option, the U.K. has just 10 days to come up with a new plan or crash out of the EU.

A look at what might happen next:

NO DEAL

Michel Barnier, who has been the chief Brexit negotiator for the other 27 EU countries, has warned that a 'no-deal' Brexit is "likely" because of Britain's political impasse.

Earlier this month, the EU agreed to postpone the original Brexit date of March 29, but gave Britain only until April 12 to come up with a new plan and seek a further extension, or leave without an agreement or a transition period to smooth the way.

Most politicians, economists and business groups think leaving the world's largest trading bloc without an agreement would be damaging for the EU and disastrous for the U.K. It would lead to tariffs imposed on trade between Britain and the EU, customs checks that could cause gridlock at ports and which could spark shortages of essential goods.

A hard core of Brexiteer legislators in May's Conservative Party dismiss this as "Project Fear" and argue for what they call a "clean Brexit." But most lawmakers are opposed to leaving without a deal. Parliament has voted repeatedly to rule out a 'no-deal' Brexit — but it remains the default position unless a deal is approved, Brexit is canceled or the EU grants Britain another extension.

May says the only way to guarantee Britain does not leave the EU without a deal is for Parliament to back her deal, which lawmakers have already rejected three times. Barring that, Parliament could try to take drastic action such as toppling the government or legislating to force it to avoid 'no-deal' — though these are risky and tricky options.

MAY'S UNDEAD DEAL

After almost two years of negotiations, Britain and the EU struck a divorce deal in November, laying out the terms of the departure from the bloc and giving a rough outline of future relations.

But it has been roundly rejected by lawmakers on both sides of the Brexit divide. Pro-Brexit lawmakers think it keeps Britain too closely tied to EU rules. Pro-EU legislators argue it is worse than the U.K.'s current status as an EU member.

Parliament has thrown it out three times, although the latest defeat, by 58 votes, was the narrowest yet. It was rejected even after May won over some pro-Brexit lawmakers by promising to quit if it was approved.

May is considering one last push this week, arguing that Parliament's failure to back any other deal means her agreement is the best option available. But the odds of success look long.

SOFT BREXIT

On Monday, Parliament voted on four alternative proposals to May's rejected deal after lawmakers seized control of the schedule from the government.

None got a majority, but the votes revealed a solid block of support for a "soft Brexit" that would maintain close economic ties between Britain and the EU. A plan to keep the U.K. in an EU customs union, ensuring seamless trade in goods, was defeated by just three votes.

May has ruled those options out, because sticking to EU trade rules would limit Britain's ability to forge new trade deals around the world.

But tweaking her deal to adopt a customs union could gain May valuable votes in Parliament. It also would likely be welcomed by the EU and would allow Britain to leave the bloc in an orderly fashion in the next few months.

However, it would also cause a schism in the Conservative Party, sparking the potential resignation of pro-Brexit government ministers.

NEW BREXIT REFERENDUM

Parliament also narrowly rejected a proposal for a new referendum on whether to leave the EU or remain.

The proposal for any Brexit deal to be put to public vote in a "confirmatory referendum" was defeated by 12 votes. It was backed by opposition parties, plus some of May's Conservatives — mainly those who want to stay in the bloc.

Her government has ruled out holding another referendum on Britain's EU membership, saying voters in 2016 made their decision to leave.

But with divisions in both Parliament and in May's Cabinet, handing the decision back to the people in a new plebiscite could be seen as the only way forward.

BREXIT DELAYED

The alternative to a "no-deal" departure is to delay Brexit for at least several months, and possibly more than a year, to sort out the mess. The EU is frustrated with the impasse and has said it will only grant another postponement if Britain comes up with a whole new Brexit plan.

The bloc is reluctant to have a departing Britain participate in the May 23-26 European parliament elections, but that would have to be done if Brexit is delayed. Still, EU Council President Donald Tusk has urged the bloc to give Britain a Brexit extension if it plans to change course.

A long delay raises the chances of an early British election, which could rearrange Parliament and break the deadlock.

May explores idea of bringing Brexit deal back for 4th vote

March 30, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal may not be dead after all — even though lawmakers voted to reject it for a third time Friday — the day Britain had long been scheduled to leave the European Union.

The U.K. now faces a deadline of April 12 to present the EU with a new plan, or crash out of the bloc without an agreement. But May's government is considering a fourth vote on her deal, bolstered by their success in narrowing margin of defeat to 58 votes on Friday from 230 votes in January.

Here's a look at what could happen next:

NO DEAL

The EU has given Britain until April 12 — two weeks away — to decide whether it wants to ask for another postponement to Brexit. The bloc has called an emergency Brexit summit for April 10 to deal with a British request, or prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

Without a delay, Britain will leave the bloc at 11 p.m. U.K. time (6 p.m. EDT) on April 12 without a divorce agreement to smooth the way. Most politicians, economists and business groups think such a no-deal scenario would be disastrous, erecting customs checks, tariffs and other barriers between Britain and its biggest trading partner.

Parliament has voted repeatedly to rule out a no-deal Brexit — but it remains the default position unless a deal is approved, Brexit is canceled or the EU grants Britain another extension.

DELAY AND SOFTEN

The alternative to "no-deal" is to delay Brexit for at least several months while Britain tries to sort out the mess.

The bloc is reluctant to have a departing Britain participate in European Parliament elections in late May, which it would have to do if Brexit is delayed. But EU Council President Donald Tusk has urged the bloc to give Britain an extension if it plans to change course and seek a softer Brexit that keeps close economic ties between Britain and the bloc.

This week British lawmakers held a series of "indicative votes" on alternatives to May's deal — and all eight options on offer were defeated. But the move did hint at a potential compromise. The measure that came closest to a majority called for Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after it leaves.

May has always ruled that out, because sticking to EU trade rules would limit Britain's ability to forge new trade deals around the world.

But a customs union would ensure U.K. businesses can continue to trade with the EU, and would solve many of the problems that bedevil May's deal. In particular, it would remove the need for customs posts and border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

There's a good chance a withdrawal agreement that included a customs union pledge would be approved by Parliament, and welcomed by the EU.

But some hard-line Conservative Party lawmakers have written to May, insisting that she not agree to a Brexit extension beyond May 22, which would force the U.K. to take part in the next European Parliament election, the Sun newspaper reported.

The letter urged the prime minister to bring her Brexit deal back to Parliament for a fourth vote, with the threat of a general election if it is rejected again, the Sun said.

ELECTION GAMBLE

Britain is not scheduled to hold a national election until 2022, but the gridlock in Parliament makes an early vote more likely.

Opposition politicians think the only way forward is an early election that could rearrange Parliament and break its current political deadlock. They could try to bring down May's Conservative-led government in a no-confidence vote, triggering a general election.

Or the government could pull the trigger itself, if it thinks it has nothing to lose.

May has promised to quit if her Brexit deal is approved and Britain left the EU in May. Even though it was defeated, she will still face huge pressure to resign, paving the way for a Conservative Party leadership contest.

A NEW BREXIT REFERENDUM

Another option considered by British lawmakers this week called for any Brexit deal to be put to public vote in a "confirmatory referendum." The idea has significant support from opposition parties, plus some Conservatives.

The government has ruled out holding another referendum on Britain's EU membership, but could change its mind if there appeared no other way to pass a Brexit deal.

Britain voted 52 percent to 48 percent to leave the EU in 2016. Since then, polls suggest the "remain" side has gained in strength, but it's far from clear who would win a new referendum.

The new vote could leave Britain just as divided over Europe as it is now.

UK faces new Brexit crisis after lawmakers reject May's deal

March 30, 2019

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers on Friday rejected the government's Brexit deal for a third time, leaving the U.K. facing the stark prospect of a chaotic departure from the European Union in just two weeks, with political leaders in turmoil and the country ill-prepared for the shock.

It's either that, or a long delay to the country's exit from the EU. The alternatives are dwindling. The House of Commons voted 344-286 against the withdrawal agreement struck between Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU, rebuffing her plea to "put aside self and party" and deliver the Brexit that Britons voted for.

Amid business warnings that a no-deal Brexit could mean crippling tariffs, border gridlock and shortages of goods, a visibly frustrated May said the vote had "grave" implications. "The legal default now is that the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on 12 April — in just 14 days' time," she said. "This is not enough time to agree, legislate for and ratify a deal, and yet the House has been clear it will not permit leaving without a deal. And so we will have to agree an alternative way forward."

Had the deal been passed, Britain would have left the EU on May 22. The bloc said the rejection of the divorce terms made a no-deal Brexit "a likely scenario" and called an emergency summit of EU leaders for April 10 to decide what to do next.

An EU Commission official said the 27 remaining EU nations were "fully prepared for a no-deal scenario at midnight 12th of April." Almost three years after Britain voted in June 2016 to leave the EU, and two years after it set its departure date for March 29, 2019, British politicians remain deadlocked over Brexit. Like the country as a whole, they are split between those who want a clean break, those who want to retain close ties with the bloc, and those who want to overturn the decision to leave.

Last week, to prevent Britain from crashing out, the EU granted an extension to May 22 if the divorce deal was approved by Friday — or to April 12 if it was rejected. Friday's 58-vote margin of defeat for the deal was narrower than previous votes in January and March, but it still left the government's blueprint for exiting the bloc in tatters.

May's deal was voted down even after the prime minister sacrificed her job in exchange for Brexit, promising to quit if lawmakers approved the agreement. With the deal's rejection, she will face pressure to step aside and let a new Conservative Party leader take over negotiations with the EU.

The government had also warned pro-Brexit politicians that rejecting May's deal could see Britain's departure from the EU delayed indefinitely. May's arguments moved some previously resistant Brexit-backers to support the deal. Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson — a likely contender to replace May as Conservative leader — tweeted that rejecting it risked "being forced to accept an even worse version of Brexit or losing Brexit altogether."

But May's key allies, the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, refused to back the agreement because it treats Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the U.K. Parliament voted on the legally binding, 585-page withdrawal agreement that May struck with the EU late last year, setting out the terms of Britain's departure — but not on a shorter declaration on future ties that was also part of the accord between the two sides.

Removing the political declaration altered the deal enough to overcome a parliamentary ban against asking lawmakers the same question over and over again. May also hoped severing the link between the two parts of the deal would blunt opposition. That gamble failed to pay off, as opposition lawmakers said if amounted to voting for a "blind Brexit" with no idea what would happen next.

Opposition lawmakers declared May's deal as good as dead. Labour Party legislator Ian Murray likened it to the dead parrot in a Monty Python comedy sketch. "Her deal is no more," he said. "It has ceased to exist. It is bereft of life. It rests in peace. It's a deal that has been nailed to its perch. It's an ex-parrot, it is an ex-deal."

Lawmakers who favor a "soft Brexit" plan to hold votes Monday in an attempt to find a deal with majority support that can break the deadlock. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Parliament had a "responsibility to find a majority for a better deal for all the people of this country."

Business groups, who have been sounding the alarm for months about the damage a no-deal Brexit could do, urged lawmakers to avert disaster. "All eyes are now on Monday to discover what Parliament is for," said Josh Hardie, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry. "The U.K.'s reputation, people's jobs and livelihoods are at stake. No-deal is two weeks away."

There also were new warnings in Europe. Eric Schweitzer, head of the influential Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said it was time to prepare for the worst. "Britain and Europe are stumbling toward an unregulated withdrawal from the EU," he said.

If lawmakers back a new proposal, Britain would need to seek a new delay to Brexit from the bloc to implement it. The EU has indicated it could grant an extension of up to a year if the U.K. plans to change course and tack toward a softer departure. That would, however, require Britain to participate in elections for the European Parliament in late May — something both the bloc and the British government have sought to avoid.

The political morass has left Britons on both sides of the debate frustrated and angry. Thousands of Brexit supporters, who had planned to be celebrating Friday, were protesting instead. They converged on Parliament Square as lawmakers voted inside, waving Union Jack flags, singing "Bye-Bye EU" and lamenting the government's failure to take Britain out of the bloc on schedule.

"The people are supposed to be the masters and them inside (Parliament) are meant to do what we tell them," said Charlotte Clifford from Eastbourne in southern England. "It's democracy." The main "Leave Means Leave" protest outside Parliament was attended by senior Brexiteers including former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who called Friday a "day of betrayal."

In a separate rally up the street, far-right agitator Tommy Robinson roused supporters with a speech attacking politicians and the media. Retired charity worker Mandy Childs, one of a band of Brexit supporters walking across England to join the "Leave Means Leave" protest, said she felt "heartbroken."

"We were told over a 100 times by a British prime minister that we would be leaving on the 29th of March, 2019," she said. "To do that, promise the British people that and then say 'Actually, no, we need to just put it back' — absolute betrayal. And how dare she?"

Associated Press writers Raf Casert in Brussels, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw and Jeff Schaeffer in Great Missenden, England, contributed.

Prime Minister May says she'll step down if Brexit deal OK'd

March 27, 2019

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May offered up her job in exchange for her Brexit deal Wednesday, telling colleagues she would quit within weeks if the agreement was passed and Britain left the European Union.

May's dramatic concession that "there is a desire for a new approach - and new leadership" was a last-ditch effort to bring enough reluctant colleagues on board to push her twice-rejected EU divorce deal over the line.

It looked like it might not be enough, as a key Northern Ireland party said it would not be supporting the deal. May's announcement came as lawmakers held an inconclusive series of votes on alternatives to her unpopular deal. It was the first step in an attempt by Parliament to break the Brexit deadlock and stop the country from tumbling out of the bloc within weeks with no exit plan in place.

May has been under mounting pressure from pro-Brexit members of her Conservative Party to quit. Many Brexiteers accuse her of negotiating a bad divorce deal that leaves Britain too closely tied to the bloc after it leaves.

Several have said they would support the withdrawal deal if another leader took charge of the next stage of negotiations, which will determine Britain's future relations with the EU. In a packed meeting of Conservative legislators described by participants as "somber," May finally conceded she would have to go, although she did not set a departure date.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," she said, according to a transcript released by her office. Anti-EU lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has clashed with May throughout the Brexit process, said she had been "very clear" that if Britain leaves the EU as foreseen on May 22, she will quit soon after.

He said the prime minister had been "very dignified." "She put her case well, and reiterated that she had done her duty," he said. It was unclear whether May's offer to resign would be enough to win backing for her deal, which was defeated by 230 votes in January and by 149 votes earlier this month.

High-profile Brexiteer Boris Johnson announced soon after May's statement that he would support the agreement, which he has previously called a "humiliation." Johnson is a likely contender to replace May as prime minister.

But other hard-liners said they would continue to reject the deal, and Northern Ireland's small but influential Democratic Unionist Party refused to budge in its opposition to the deal. The DUP's support was seen as key to persuading other Brexiteers to back the deal. But the staunchly pro-British party fears a provision designed keep an open border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland after Brexit would weaken the bonds between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.

"We cannot sign up to something that would damage the Union," DUP leader Arlene Foster told Sky News. Asked if the party might abstain instead, DUP lawmaker Nigel Dodds tweeted: "The DUP do not abstain on the Union."

Two years ago, Britain triggered a countdown to departure from the EU that ended Friday, March 29, 2019. With that date approaching and no Brexit deal approved by Britain, the EU last week granted a delay. It said that if Parliament approves the proposed divorce deal this week, the U.K. will leave the EU on May 22. If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do: leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or propose a radically new path.

With May clinging to her Plan A — getting her deal approved — lawmakers this week seized control of the parliamentary timetable for debate and votes Wednesday on a range of Brexit alternatives. The results underscored the divisions in Parliament, and the country, over Brexit. None of the eight plans received a majority of votes. The most popular were a proposal to remain in a customs union with the bloc, which was defeated 272-264, and a call to hold a public referendum on any divorce deal, which fell by 295 votes to 268. Both ideas got more support than the 242 votes secured by May's deal earlier this month.

A call to leave the EU without a deal was supported by 160 lawmakers and opposed by 400. The plan is for the most popular ideas to move to a second vote Monday to find an option that can command a majority. Parliament would then instruct the government to negotiate it with the EU.

May has said she will consider the outcome of the votes, although she has refused to be bound by the result. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay urged lawmakers to back May's deal, saying the ambiguous result "demonstrates that there are no easy options here."

Barclay said he had introduced a motion to have Parliament meet Friday if needed for a vote on May's agreement, but it remained unclear whether it would go ahead. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said he would not accept another vote on the twice-rejected deal unless substantial changes were made.

Wednesday's votes produced inconclusive results, but could push Britain in the direction of a softer Brexit that keeps Britain closely tied economically to the EU. That would probably require the U.K. to seek a longer delay, although that would mean participating in May 23-26 European Parliament elections.

Many EU officials are keen to avoid the messy participation of a departing member state. But the chief of the European Council told European lawmakers that the EU should let Britain take part if the country indicated it planned to change course on Brexit. Donald Tusk said the bloc could not "betray" the millions of Britons who want to stay in the EU.

"They may feel they are not sufficiently represented by the U.K. Parliament but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber. Because they are Europeans," Tusk said.

Gregory Katz and Tobie Mathew in London and Raf Casert in Strasbourg, France, contributed.

UK lawmakers prepare to vote on alternatives to Brexit deal

March 27, 2019

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers were preparing to vote Wednesday on myriad options for leaving the European Union as they sought to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May.

The House of Commons has scheduled a five-hour debate on a wide range of alternatives, after which lawmakers will be asked to vote for all of the options they could accept. The plan is for the most popular ideas to move to a second vote on Monday in hopes of finding one option that can command a majority.

The debate comes two days after lawmakers took control of the parliamentary agenda away from the government amid alarm that Britain was heading toward a chaotic Brexit within weeks with no exit plan in place.

May has said she will consider the outcome of the "indicative votes," though she has refused to be bound by the result. Lawmakers have submitted 16 different options for consideration, though House of Commons Speaker John Bercow is expected to whittle the number down to about half a dozen before debate begins. The proposals include leaving the EU without a deal, remaining in the bloc's single market and customs union, and holding a new referendum on Britain's membership in the bloc.

Almost three years after Britons voted to leave the EU, the date and terms of its departure are up in the air. Last week, the EU granted Britain a delay to the scheduled March 29 exit date, saying that if Parliament approved the proposed divorce deal, the U.K. would leave the EU on May 22. If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do — leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or propose a radically new path.

May, meanwhile, still hopes to bring the divorce deal that the government struck with the EU back for another vote in the House of Commons — if she can win over enough opponents to ensure passage. Lawmakers rejected the deal by 230 votes in January and by 149 votes earlier this month, primarily because of concerns about the Northern Ireland border.

House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom told the BBC there is a "real possibility" the unpopular agreement will be considered again on Thursday or Friday. Tony Travers, a professor of government at the London School of Economics, said the parliamentary votes could boost support for May's deal by raising the prospect that Brexit might be delayed or abandoned.

"The very fact that parliament is voting in this indicative way, which could lead via various difficult hurdles to a softer Brexit is convincing a number of hard-line pro-Brexiteers that after all Theresa May's deal is better than no deal because at least it gets them out of the EU," Travers said.

Conservative Lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has sought a complete break from the European Union, said May's deal is still a bad one, but "the risk is, if I don't back it, we don't leave the EU at all."

"I think we have got to the point where legally leaving is better than not leaving at all," he told the BBC. "Half a loaf is better than no bread." But Rees-Mogg said he would not back the deal unless Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party decided to vote for it. The DUP, which has 10 seats in the House of Commons, said Tuesday that it still wasn't prepared to support the "toxic" deal.

Wednesday's votes in Parliament are likely to produce conflicting and inconclusive results. But they could push Britain in the direction of a softer Brexit that keeps Britain closely tied to the EU. That would probably require the U.K. to seek a longer delay, although that would mean that the country would have to take part in Mya 23-26 European Parliament elections.

Many EU officials are keen to avoid the messy participation of a departing member state. But the chief of the European Council told European lawmakers that the EU should let Britain take part. Donald Tusk said the bloc could not "betray" the millions of Britons who want to stay in the EU.

"They may feel they are not sufficiently represented by the U.K. Parliament but they must feel that are represented by you in this chamber. Because they are Europeans," Tusk said. Many Britons — whether they are for Brexit or against it — are simply fed up with the unending political gridlock.

"I think it's just chaos and I know that they're just not really handling it well and Theresa May, she's got her hands full, and she's trying her best," said Anna Lopez-Fujimakia a sustainability worker from London.

"I feel bad for her because I can't think of anybody who would do a better job because there's not really a good job to be done in this situation."

Gregory Katz and Tobie Mathew in London, and Raf Casert in Strasbourg, France, contributed to this story.

What Next? UK lawmakers torn on fate of Brexit, and May

March 25, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Britain has just a few weeks to break its Brexit impasse, with the fate of the country's departure from the European Union, and of Prime Minister Theresa May, both hanging in the balance.

Here's a look at what might happen next:

DEAL OR NO DEAL

With British politicians deadlocked, EU leaders last week granted Britain a two-stage "flextension" to Brexit, which had been due to take place on March 29. Under the new plan, if U.K. lawmakers approve the divorce deal agreed between Britain and the bloc, the country will leave on May 22.

If they defeat it, Britain has until April 12 to tell the EU what it plans to do next: leave without a deal, risking economic chaos, or seek a long delay to Brexit and chart a course toward a softer exit or even remaining in the bloc.

PARLIAMENTARY BATTLE

The battle now shifts back to the British Parliament, which is split down the middle between supporters and opponents of Brexit. Both sides voted in large numbers, twice, to reject May's Brexit deal. But May wants to try again. She hopes to persuade reluctant pro-Brexit lawmakers that backing her deal is their only hope of leaving soon and in an orderly fashion, and to convince pro-EU legislators that they must choose between her deal and a chaotic no-deal Brexit.

May's plan was complicated last week when the speaker of the House of Commons said the prime minister couldn't seek a third vote on her twice-defeated divorce deal unless it was substantially altered.

May is likely to argue that the EU's extension means circumstances have changed and that ruling should no longer apply.

THE END OF MAY?

British politicians are divided over Brexit, but they agree that the process is in a mess — and many blame May, who has refused to consider alternatives to her deal and failed to win changes to the agreement from the EU.

Many Conservatives are now calling for May to step down. Some pro-Brexit Tories who have so far opposed her deal say they would support it if she promised to hand over the next stage of negotiations — when Britain and the EU will hammer out their future relations — to a new leader.

For now, May is standing firm. Under Conservative rules, May cannot face a formal leadership challenge from within her own party until December because she survived one three months ago.

OTHER OPTIONS

There is little evidence yet that lawmakers' opinion has shifted strongly in favor of May's deal. Anti-EU supporters of "hard Brexit" still believe that rejecting it can lead to a no-deal departure from the bloc as soon as April 12.

The Brexiteers are in a minority, but form a powerful bloc in May's Conservative Party. A larger group in Parliament, from a range of parties, favors a compromise Brexit in which the U.K. keeps close economic ties with the bloc.

These pro-EU lawmakers will try to push through a plan this week that would give members of Parliament control of the House of Commons timetable in order to hold a series of votes on alternative forms of Brexit, to see if there is a majority for any of them.

Proposals could include seeking closer ties with the bloc than May's deal envisages, or putting the Brexit deal to a public vote.

BYE-BYE BREXIT?

Opposition politicians think the only way forward is an early election that could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock. May has ruled that out, but could come to see it as her only option.

And anti-Brexit campaigners haven't abandoned the idea of a new referendum on remaining in the EU. There's currently no majority for that in Parliament, but pro-referendum campaigners feel opinion is shifting in their favor. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to demand a new public vote.

The "nuclear option" of simply canceling Brexit is also gaining support. An online petition urging the government to revoke the decision to leave the EU has amassed more than 5 million signatures.

Anti-Brexit marchers swarm London streets, demand new vote

March 23, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Anti-Brexit protesters swarmed the streets of central London by the tens of thousands on Saturday, demanding that Britain's Conservative-led government hold a new referendum on whether Britain should leave the European Union.

The "People's Vote March" kicked off shortly after noon and snaked from Park Lane and other locations to converge on the U.K. Parliament, where the fate of Brexit will be decided in the coming weeks. Many marchers carried European Union flags and signs praising the longstanding ties between Britain and continental Europe.

Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, invited to help lead the march, called the crowd impressive and unified. "There is a huge turnout of people here from all walks of life, of all ages and from all over the country," he tweeted. "We are a Remain country now with 60 percent wanting to stop the Brexit mess."

More than 4 million people endorsed an electronic petition this week in favor of revoking Article 50, the act that formally triggered the Brexit process. The march comes as British Prime Minister Theresa May, who opposes a second referendum on Britain's EU membership, is easing away from plans to hold a third vote on her troubled Brexit withdrawal plan, which has been strongly rejected twice by Parliament.

In a letter to lawmakers on Friday night, May said she might not seek passage of her Brexit withdrawal plan in Parliament next week. The embattled leader said she would only bring her EU divorce plan back to Parliament if there seems to be enough backing for it to pass.

"If it appears that there is not sufficient support to bring the deal back next week, or the House rejects it again, we can ask for another extension before 12 April, but that will involve holding European Parliament elections," she said.

May's changing stance reflects the plan's dismal chances in the House of Commons after two prior defeats. She also says she would need the approval of House Speaker John Bercow to bring the plan back for a third time. Bercow has said a third vote would violate parliamentary rules against repeatedly voting on the same thing unless May's Brexit divorce plan is altered.

Almost three years after Britons voted to walk away from the EU, the bloc's leaders this week seized control of the Brexit timetable from May to avert a chaotic departure on March 29 that would be disruptive for the world's biggest trading bloc and deeply damaging for Britain.

EU leaders at a summit in Brussels set two deadlines for Britain to leave the bloc of nearly half a billion people or to take an entirely new path in considering its EU future. They agreed to extend the Brexit date until May 22, on the eve of the EU Parliament elections, if May can persuade the British Parliament to endorse her Brexit divorce deal.

Failing that, they gave May until April 12 to choose between leaving the bloc without a divorce deal or deciding on a radically new path, such as revoking Britain's decision to leave, holding a new referendum on Brexit or finding a cross-party consensus for a very different kind of Brexit.

Despite May's letter to lawmakers, it was not clear what path her minority government would take this week. The anti-Brexit marchers on Saturday included 63-year-old Edmund Sides, who spent the last three weeks walking from Wales to London in order to take part.

Sides, a geologist, said he wanted to be able to speak to people along the way, encouraging families that have been split between Leave and Remain to mend their fences and talk. "The whole country isn't doing enough of that," he said.

He is worried about the vicious tone that Brexit arguments have started to take and worries about national cohesion. "People fear the atmosphere is very dangerous in this country," Sides said.

Danica Kirka contributed to this report.

Europe offers UK a little more time for Brexit

March 22, 2019

BRUSSELS (AP) — Worn down by three years of indecision in London, European Union leaders on Thursday grudgingly offered the U.K. more time to ease itself out of the bloc, delaying by several weeks — but not eliminating — the threat of a chaotic British exit.

After a meeting that stretched through the afternoon and over dinner, the bloc said Britain could postpone its March 29 departure to May 22 — if the U.K. Parliament approves Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal with the bloc next week.

If the twice-rejected deal is thrown out again, the bloc says Britain has until April 12 to "indicate a way forward." "Now it is finally up to the British political system to provide a clear answer," French President Emmanuel Macron said, adding that any final decision must come ahead of the May 23-26 European Parliament election.

May — who has spent almost three years telling Britons they will leave the EU on March 29, 2019 — put a positive spin on the delay. She said the EU decision underlines "the importance of the House of Commons passing a Brexit deal next week so that we can bring an end to the uncertainty and leave in a smooth and orderly manner."

EU summit host Donald Tusk expressed relief that a cut-off date had been delayed. "I am really satisfied, especially that we have still open so many options," Tusk said. "It is a good sign." The late-night offer eased some of the deep uncertainty among leaders at an EU summit in Brussels, which was exceeded only by the high anxiety being felt by politicians, businesses and citizens in Britain. The British military has even set up a command post in a bunker under the defense ministry in London to help coordinate "no-deal" planning.

The House of Commons is split, both among and within its political parties, over whether and how to leave the EU. It has twice rejected the deal May brokered with the bloc's leaders late last year. This week, May finally acknowledged the Brexit gridlock and asked the EU to delay Britain's departure until June 30, to create time to win parliamentary approval for her deal in a third attempt and then pass the legislation necessary for a smooth departure.

But opposition to May's the agreement among British politicians appeared to be hardening, rather than softening, after she blamed Parliament for the Brexit impasse. In a televised address Wednesday night, May accused lawmakers of "infighting," ''political games" and "arcane procedural rows," but acknowledged no personal error in creating the deadlock.

A lawmaker from May's Conservative Party called the speech "toxic." Legislator Anna Soubry, of the breakaway Independent Group, described it as the "most dishonest and divisive statement from any prime minister."

May struck conciliatory note at a late-night Brussels news conference, saying "I know MPs on all sides of the debate have passionate views, and I respect those different positions." "Last night I expressed my frustration. I know that MPs are frustrated too. They have difficult jobs to do," she added.

But May also refused to change course, calling on lawmakers to back her agreement and refusing to rule out a no-deal exit if they did not back her. May said that if the deal falls, by April 12, "we would either leave with no deal, or put forward an alternative plan" that involved participating in EU Parliament elections.

"I believe strongly that it would be wrong to ask people in the UK to participate in these elections three years after voting to leave the EU," she said. Businesses and economists say a no-deal Brexit would cause huge disruptions and billions in costs to the economies of both Britain and the EU.

Underscoring the sense of dread gripping the nation, one of Britain's biggest business lobbies and a major trade union federation said in a rare joint appeal that the "country is facing a national emergency."

The Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress warned May that if Britain crashes out of the EU, "the shock to our economy would be felt by generations to come." Britain's military said the command post under the ministry of defense was set up as part of Operation Redfold, a plan to minimize disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The ministry said in a statement it had 3,500 troops on standby to help with any disruptions if the government asks for assistance.

Worry about a chaotic departure has been rising among EU leaders, who fear May no longer has the clout in Parliament to get her way. "Nobody wants no-deal here," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to work "until the last hour" to try to ensure that Britain doesn't leave without a deal, even though her government has enacted emergency measures to deal with such a scenario.

May plans to make a third attempt to get her deal through Parliament next week. But many pro-Brexit legislators still oppose it, saying it does not deliver the clean break they long for. And Pro-EU lawmakers will try to derail May and wrest away control of the Brexit process to steer Britain toward a close relationship with the bloc.

It's a struggle that has been going on for almost three years and brought the U.K. to within eight days of a chaotic Brexit. Macron said that risk remained. "The European Union is not holding all the cards because everything depends on the British vote," he said. "The European Union is clearly facing a British political crisis. British politicians are incapable of implementing what their people have asked for."

Some EU leaders felt sympathy for May's quandary. "I have the highest respect for her," said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "Her tenacity is enormous. But she is working in an extremely difficult situation.

"It's not her mistake that we are where we are — it's because too many people have so far played party politics on this issue."

Associated Press writers Samuel Petrequin and Lorne Cook in Brussels, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Danica Kirka and Gregory Katz in London and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed.

Skeptical EU leaders to hear May's plea for a Brexit delay

March 21, 2019

BRUSSELS (AP) — Prime Minister Theresa May was trying to persuade European Union leaders on Thursday to delay Brexit by up to three months, with her plans to leave the bloc in chaos just eight days before Britain's scheduled departure.

May will meet the 27 national other EU leaders in Brussels, a day after she wrote requesting an extension to the Brexit deadline until June 30. The bloc is weary of Britain's political soap opera over Brexit. EU Council chief Donald Tusk, who is overseeing the summit, said a short delay should be possible, but only if Britain's Parliament approves May's divorce deal with the EU before the scheduled March 29 departure date.

That is a tall order. The deal has twice been rejected twice by hefty margins in Britain's Parliament, amid opposition from pro-Brexit and pro-EU lawmakers. May said lawmakers now face a "final choice" between her deal, a no-deal departure that could hammer the economy, and cancelling Brexit.

But the prime minister angered many legislators with a televised speech late Wednesday blaming Parliament for the Brexit impasse. May told voters weary of a Brexit saga that has dragged on for almost three years: "You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with. I agree. I am on your side."

She didn't accept a role in causing the impasse, but blamed Parliament and warned that if lawmakers didn't back her deal it would cause "irreparable damage to public trust." Pro-EU Conservative lawmaker Sam Gyimah called May's comments "toxic."

"Resorting to the 'blame game' as the PM is doing is a low blow," he said. Main U.K. opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is also meeting senior EU officials in Brussels, trying to persuade them that Parliament can find an alternative to May's rejected plan.

"I believe it should be possible to agree a deal with the EU that secures a close economic relationship before the European Parliament elections," Corbyn said.

UK's May asks a wary EU to delay Brexit until June 30

March 20, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Theresa May formally asked the European Union on Wednesday to postpone Britain's departure from the bloc — due in nine days — until June 30. But an exasperated EU said Britain would have to accept either a shorter delay or a much longer one.

In a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, May said the Brexit process "clearly will not be completed before 29 March, 2019" — the date fixed in law two years ago for Britain's departure. She asked for a delay until June 30, and said she wanted to set out her reasons to EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Opposition politicians, and pro-EU members of May's Conservative government, had urged a longer extension, saying a delay of just a few months could leave Britain once again facing a cliff-edge "no-deal" Brexit this summer. Withdrawing without a deal could mean huge disruption for businesses and people in the U.K. and the 27 remaining EU countries.

But a long extension would infuriate the pro-Brexit wing of May's divided party, and would require Britain to participate in May 23-26 elections for the European Parliament. May said that would be unacceptable.

"As prime minister I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than June 30," she said in the House of Commons. May said a longer delay would result in Parliament spending "endless hours contemplating its navel on Brexit."

Any delay that required Britain to take part in European parliamentary elections would be a major headache for the bloc. Britain believes it would not have to participate if it got a three-month delay, because the newly elected European parliament is not due to convene until July.

But a leading European Commission official said a June 30 extension would cause "legal uncertainty" for the bloc. The official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told May in a telephone call that "the withdrawal has to be complete before May 23," the first day of the European elections.

The alternative would be for Britain to participate in the elections and accept a much longer delay, to the end of 2019 or beyond. Britain voted in June 2016 to quit the EU, but almost three years later, its politicians are deadlocked over how — and even whether — to leave.

The only thing divided pro-Brexit and pro-EU politicians agree on is that they hate the Brexit deal May has struck with the bloc. Nor were they impressed by her move to delay. Brexit-backing Conservative lawmaker Peter Bone said delaying Brexit would be "betraying the British people."

"If you continue to apply for an extension to Article 50 you will be betraying the British people. Opposition Labour Party lawmaker Angela Eagle said May should "stop banging her head against the brick wall of her defeated deal" and seek cross-party support for a new Brexit strategy.

May's troubles deepened when the speaker of the House of Commons ruled earlier this week that she can't ask Parliament to vote on the deal again unless it is substantially changed. That scuttled May's plan to try a third time this week to get the agreement approved.

May told Tusk that despite the ruling "it remains my intention to bring the deal back to the House." If it is approved, she plans to use the extension until June 30 in order for Parliament to pass the necessary legislation for Britain's departure.

A delay to Britain's withdrawal requires the approval of all 27 remaining EU countries, who are fed up with British political crisis. Juncker said EU leaders are unlikely to agree to a delay at this week's summit.

"My impression is ... that this week at the European Council there will be no decision, but that we will probably have to meet again next week, because Mrs. May doesn't have agreement to anything, either in her Cabinet or in Parliament," Juncker told Germany's Deutschlandfunk radio.

"As long as we don't know what Britain could say yes to, we can't reach a decision." Britain's political chaos has drawn reactions ranging from sympathy to scorn at home and around the world. On its front page Wednesday, the Brexit-backing Daily Mail newspaper bemoaned the time since the referendum as"1,000 lost days."

From Washington, Donald Trump Jr. said May should have listened to his father, who urged her last year to sue the EU in order to secure better departure terms. The U.S. president has criticized May for not taking his advice.

The president's multimillionaire son blamed "elites" in London and Brussels for scuttling Brexit. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Trump Jr. said "democracy in the U.K. is all but dead." The gridlock is also causing increasing exasperation among EU leaders.

Juncker said that "in all probability" Britain won't leave on March 29, but he underlined the EU's insistence that it will not reopen the painstakingly negotiated withdrawal agreement that British lawmakers have snubbed.

"There will be no renegotiations, no new negotiations and no additional assurances on top of the additional assurances we have already given," he said. Juncker said Britain's Parliament needed to decide whether it would approve the deal that is on the table.

"If that doesn't happen, and if Great Britain does not leave at the end of March, then we are, I am sorry to say, in the hands of God," he said. "And I think even God sometimes reaches a limit to his patience."

Cook reported from Brussels. Raf Casert also contributed from Brussels. Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story.

EU official floats 2-stage delay to Brexit

March 16, 2019

BERLIN (AP) — A senior European Union official is floating the possibility of a two-step delay to Britain's departure from the bloc, currently scheduled for March 29. Britain is expected to seek a short delay if lawmakers finally pass a twice-rejected EU withdrawal deal, or a longer one if they don't.

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans told Germany's Funke newspaper group in comments published Saturday that Britain must know why it needs a delay. He added that "as long as this isn't clear, Brexit can only be delayed for a few weeks, solely to avoid a chaotic withdrawal March 29."

Timmermans said: "During this time, the British must tell us what they want: new elections? A new referendum? Only after that can we talk about a several-month extension."

As Brexit stalls, supporters protest betrayal of their dream

March 16, 2019

SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — With Britain's departure from the European Union likely to be put on hold, some Brexit supporters fear their dream is dying. Hard-core Brexiteers led by former U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage are setting out on a two-week "Leave Means Leave" march between northern England and London, accusing politicians of "betraying the will of the people."

It's due to end at Parliament on March 29, the day the U.K. was supposed to leave. Protesters plan to set out Saturday from Sunderland, which is 270 miles (434 kilometers) north of London that voted by 61-39 percent in 2016 to leave the EU.

Almost three years later, U.K. lawmakers remain deadlocked over the government's Brexit deal. Parliament voted this week to seek to delay Britain's departure until at least June 30.

May tries to save Brexit deal after vote to delay UK exit

March 15, 2019

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May worked Friday to pull off an against-the-odds rescue for her European Union divorce deal, after Parliament voted to postpone Brexit to avert a chaotic U.K. departure in two weeks.

May planned to spend the next few days trying to persuade opponents in her Conservative Party and its parliamentary allies to support the withdrawal agreement, which Parliament has resoundingly defeated twice. That left Britain facing a disruptive "no-deal" exit on March 29, when a two-year countdown to departure triggered in 2017 runs out.

After months of political deadlock, the House of Commons voted by 413-202 Thursday to ask the EU to delay Britain's exit. The vote in itself won't prevent Britain crashing out of the bloc — an outcome that could mean major disruption for businesses and people in the U.K. and the 27 remaining EU countries. By law, Britain will leave the EU on March 29, with or without a deal, unless it cancels Brexit or secures a delay.

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit had "diminished." He said he hoped the U.K. would "leave as soon as possible in an orderly fashion" if Parliament backs May's withdrawal agreement next week.

Any delay must be approved by all 27 remaining EU nations, who are quickly losing patience with British political shenanigans. German Justice Minister Katarina Barley said Britain must use any extra time it is granted productively.

Barley, who is half British, told RBB radio on Friday that "giving more time alone will produce no solution." "I think the EU would be willing to give more time, but there must be some sort of a plan what should happen in this time," she said.

May is expected to hold another vote on her deal before Wednesday. The following day, she is due to attend an EU summit in Brussels, where she will formally ask the bloc for a Brexit extension. If her deal is approved, May will seek a delay until June 30 to give time for Parliament to pass the legislation needed for Britain's EU exit.

She has warned lawmakers opposing the agreement that if it is rejected Britain will need a much longer extension, which could see Brexit postponed indefinitely. Pro-Brexit lawmakers in May's Conservative Party have rejected the withdrawal deal — which lays out the terms of Britain's departure and the outline of future relations with the EU — because they think it keeps Britain too closely bound to the bloc's rules and regulations.

But May hopes they will change their mind if they face a choice between her deal and remaining in the EU. Still, she faces a struggle to overturn the huge defeats for the agreement, which was rejected by 230 votes in Parliament in January, and by 149 votes this week.

Success would be a remarkable turnaround for May, whose authority has been shredded by a series of defeats in Parliament. This week alone, lawmakers voted to defeat May's withdrawal agreement, to rule out leaving without a deal, and to seek a Brexit delay.

May's government and her Conservative Party are divided and discipline has frayed, with several ministers refusing to back the government's line in voting. In one unusual episode on Thursday, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay urged Parliament to support the government's motion to seek a Brexit delay — then voted against it himself.

David Rising in Berlin contributed to this story

Brextension: UK lawmakers vote to seek delay of EU departure

March 15, 2019

LONDON (AP) — In a stalemate over Brexit, British politicians have chosen to delay it. After weeks of political gridlock, Parliament voted Thursday to seek to postpone the country's departure from the European Union, a move that will likely avert a chaotic withdrawal on the scheduled exit date of March 29.

With Brexit due in 15 days and no divorce deal yet approved, the House of Commons voted 413-202 to ask the bloc to put off Britain's exit until at least June 30. The official result was initially announced as 412-202, but was later amended to 413 in the official voting list.

The vote gives Prime Minister Theresa May some breathing space, but is still humbling for a leader who has spent two years telling Britons they were leaving the bloc on March 29. Power to approve or reject the extension lies with the EU, which has signaled that it will only allow a delay if Britain either approves a divorce deal or makes a fundamental shift in its approach to Brexit. In a historic irony, almost three years after Britain voted to leave the EU, its future is now in the bloc's hands.

May is likely to ask EU leaders for an extension at a March 21-22 summit of the bloc in Brussels. The European Commission said the bloc would consider any request, "taking into account the reasons for and duration of a possible extension."

May was forced to consider a Brexit delay after lawmakers twice rejected her EU divorce deal and also ruled out, in principle, leaving the bloc without an agreement. Withdrawing without a deal could mean major disruptions for businesses and people in the U.K. and the 27 remaining countries.

By law, Britain will leave the EU on March 29, with or without a deal, unless it cancels Brexit or secures a delay. Thursday could have been worse for May. Lawmakers rejected an attempt to strip her of control over the Brexit agenda. They defeated by the narrowest of margins — 314-312 — an opposition attempt let Parliament choose an alternative to May's rejected divorce deal and force the government to negotiate it with the EU.

Lawmakers also voted against holding a second Brexit referendum — at least for now. By a decisive 334-85 vote, they defeated a motion that called for another vote by the public on whether to stay in the EU or leave. Campaigners for a new referendum are divided over whether the time is right to push for a second Brexit vote. The vote doesn't prevent lawmakers from trying again later to get Parliament's support for another referendum.

Despite the rebuffs and the political chaos that have weakened her authority, May has signaled she will try a third time to get backing for her agreement next week. She is seeking to win over Brexit-backing opponents in her own party and its Northern Irish political ally, the Democratic Unionist Party, who fear the deal keeps Britain too closely tied to the EU.

Alan Wager, a researcher at the U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank, said May faced a struggle to overturn a 149-vote margin of defeat in Parliament this week. "It's still really difficult to see how the numbers stack up for Theresa May, but she's giving it one more go," he said.

If May's deal is approved, she hopes to use a delay until June 30 to enact legislation needed for Britain's departure. She has warned Brexit supporters who oppose her deal that if no withdrawal agreement is passed in the coming days, the only option will be to seek a long extension that could mean Brexit never happens.

Any delay in the Brexit process would require the unanimous approval of all 27 remaining EU member states — and leaders in the bloc are exasperated at the events in London. They have said they will approve an extension if there is a specific reason, but don't want to provide more time for political bickering in Britain.

"Under no circumstances an extension in the dark!" tweeted the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt. "Unless there is a clear majority in the House of Commons for something precise, there is no reason at all for the European Council to agree on a prolongation."

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the EU needed "more decisions" from London. The EU is also reluctant to postpone Brexit beyond the late May elections for the European Parliament, because that would mean Britain taking part even as it prepares to leave.

The bloc is more open to a long delay to allow Britain to radically change course — an idea favored by pro-EU British lawmakers who want to maintain close ties with the EU. European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that he will appeal to EU leaders "to be open to a long extension if the U.K. finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus about it."

In another sting for May, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "surprised at how badly" the Brexit negotiations have been handled. Trump, who sees himself as a deal-maker, said he gave May advice but she didn't listen to him.

Speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House, Trump said Britain's debate over leaving the EU was "tearing the country apart." British businesses expressed relief at the prospect of a delay. Many worry that a no-deal Brexit would cause upheaval, with customs checks causing gridlock at U.K. ports, new tariffs triggering sudden price increases and red tape for everyone from truckers to tourists.

Josh Hardie, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said the vote for an extension showed there was "still some common sense in Westminster." "But without a radically new approach, business fears this is simply a stay of execution," he said.

Associated Press writers Gregory Katz in London and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.

With Brexit deal down, UK lawmakers have 2 more choices

March 12, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Now that British lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit divorce deal for a second time, the country's planned March 29 departure from the bloc is an open question.

Lawmakers now have two starkly different choices: no deal or delay. A look at what might happen in the days ahead:

DESTINATION NO DEAL

The House of Commons voted 391-242 against May's EU withdrawal agreement Tuesday, snubbing changes she secured from the bloc the night before to allay concerns about the deal's Irish border provisions. Lawmakers voted down the deal in January by an even bigger margin.

After the tally, May said Parliament would vote Wednesday on whether to abandon efforts to secure an agreement and to leave the EU as planned in a little more than two weeks without a deal.

A phalanx of pro-Brexit politicians supports that idea. They argue it would free the U.K. from EU rules and red tape, allowing the country to forge an independent global trade policy.

But economists and businesses fear a so-called "no-deal Brexit" would hammer the economy as tariffs and other trade barriers go up between Britain and the EU, its biggest trading partner.

In the short term, there could be gridlock at British ports and shortages of fresh produce. In the long run, the government says a no-deal scenario would leave the economy 6 percent to 9 percent smaller over 15 years than remaining in the EU.

Last month, Parliament passed a non-binding amendment ruling out a "no-deal" Brexit, and it is unlikely they will support it now. May said lawmakers would be free to follow their consciences rather than party lines when they consider the question Wednesday.

DELAY, DELAY, DELAY

If lawmakers give leaving the EU without an agreement a thumbs down, they have one choice left: seeking more time. A third vote scheduled for Thursday is on asking the EU to delay Brexit day by up to three months.

This option is likely to prove popular, since politicians on both sides of the Brexit debate fear time is running out to secure an orderly withdrawal by March 29.

Extending the timeframe for Brexit would require approval from all 27 remaining EU member countries. They have an opportunity to grand such a request at a March 21-22 summit in Brussels. But the rest of the EU is reluctant to postpone Brexit beyond the late May elections for the EU's legislature, the European Parliament.

The EU said Tuesday that Britain needs to provide "a credible justification" for any delay.

CRISIS DEFERRED

Whatever Parliament decides, it will not end Britain's Brexit crisis. Both lawmakers and the public remain split between backers of a clean break from the EU and those who favor continuing a close relationship through a post-Brexit trade deal or by reversing the June 2016 decision to leave.

May is unwilling to abandon her hard-won Brexit agreement and might try to put it to Parliament a third time, although the latest margin of defeat makes that tricky.

Some lawmakers want her to have Parliament consider different forms of Brexit to see if there is a majority for any course of action.

Some think the only way forward is a snap election that could rearrange the forces in Parliament and break the political deadlock. May has ruled that out, but could come to see it as her only option.

And anti-Brexit campaigners haven't abandoned efforts to secure a new referendum on whether to remain in the EU. The government opposes the idea, which at the moment also lacks majority support in Parliament.

However, the political calculus could change if the paralysis drags on. The opposition Labour Party has said it would support a second referendum if other options were exhausted.

It all means more twists are coming in the Brexit drama.

"No one really believes this is the last chance saloon," said Oliver Patel, a research associate at the European Institute at University College London.

UK prime minister fights to save Brexit deal

March 11, 2019

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May was battling Monday to stave off a new defeat for her European Union divorce deal, with talks deadlocked a day before Parliament is scheduled to vote on the plan.

The House of Commons is due to vote Tuesday on whether to approve a deal it resoundingly rejected in January. There are few signs of any big shift in opinion. Lawmakers' opposition to the deal centers on of concerns over arrangements for the Irish border. May's government has been seeking changes, but the EU refuses to reopen the 585-page agreement that it spent a year-and-a-half negotiating.

The bloc is frustrated at what it sees as the inability of Britain's divided government to lay out a clear vision for Brexit — and because it is seeking changes to an agreement that May herself helped negotiate.

"Technical" talks aimed at securing concessions from the EU failed to secure a breakthrough over the weekend, and a rumored trip by May to meet EU leaders in Brussels on Monday looked to have been shelved.

If Parliament throws out the deal again, lawmakers will vote on whether to leave the EU without an agreement — an idea likely to be rejected — or to ask the EU to delay Brexit beyond the scheduled March 29 departure date.

May warned last week that any delay could mean "we may never leave the EU at all." Hard-line Brexit supporters in May's Conservative Party said she should postpone Tuesday's vote rather than risk another crushing defeat.

Former Conservative chief whip Andrew Mitchell told the Times of London that "anything that avoids what looks like a massive defeat on Tuesday is worth considering." May has staked her political reputation on securing an exit deal with the EU, and is under mounting pressure to quit if it is defeated again. She survived a bid to oust her through a no-confidence vote in December, so can't be forced from office for a year.

Conservative lawmaker Nicky Morgan said May's position will become "less and less tenable" if she suffers more defeats in Parliament this week. "If the votes go this week in a way which means that the prime minister's policy as she has set out and stuck to rigidly over the course of the last two-and-a-bit a years is taken away, dismantled slowly by Parliament this week, I think it would be very difficult for the prime minister to stay in office for very much longer," Morgan told the BBC.

Brexit backers to UK prime minister: Don't delay

March 10, 2019

LONDON (AP) — Two prominent Brexit backers are warning Prime Minister Theresa May not to seek a delay to Britain's scheduled March 29 departure from the European Union if her withdrawal deal is rejected Tuesday.

Conservative Party lawmaker Steve Baker and Democratic Unionist deputy leader Nigel Dodds wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that prolonging the Brexit process rather than making a clean break would lead to "political calamity."

The two said slowing Britain's departure would mean a "costly delay" for British businesses and irreparable damage to public trust in politics. Brexiteers who are ready to embrace a "no-deal" Brexit if no agreement is approved by Britain's Parliament worry that a possible vote this week to seek an extension of the talks will eventually lead to a softening or cancellation of Brexit plans.

Their warnings are based on the widespread belief that May's 585-page withdrawal agreement, reached after more than two years of rigorous talks with the EU, will be defeated in Parliament unless last-minute concessions are made by European leaders.

Thus far, the terms are unchanged from the withdrawal plan that received a shellacking in Parliament in January, losing by some 230 votes, a record rejection of a sitting government. The prospect of another defeat has all sides in the Brexit conflict jockeying for position.

Scottish National Party leader Ian Blackford said Sunday that his party will put forward an amendment giving it the authority to hold another independence referendum if Britain does leave the EU. The Scottish party is firmly opposed to Brexit, and its leaders point out that Scotland's population voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum.

Blackford says the party seeks "a recognition that if the U.K. does leave the European Union that the people of Scotland should be able to determine their own destiny and in particular should have that power to have an independence referendum if we so choose."

Scotland voted to remain part of the U.K. in a 2014 vote, but its leaders have complained bitterly that it is being dragged out of the EU against its will.

UN chief warns of violence at home, Japan nears emergency

April 06, 2020

TOKYO (AP) — With more than 1.2 million people infected with the new coronavirus, the U.N. chief appealed for “peace at home” — all homes — out of concern that domestic violence was rising as the social and financial toll of the pandemic deepened.

U.S. officials warned of sad developments to come in the worst-hit country, where medical supplies were short and morgues were crowded. Japanese officials on Monday considered declaring a state of emergency. Infections are soaring in the country that has the world's third-largest economy and its oldest population.

The reported declaration would likely cover the sprawling megacity of Tokyo and other areas and would come a couple of weeks after the Summer Olympics were postponed until next year. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described “a horrifying global surge in domestic violence” in recent weeks. Following his call on March 23 for an immediate cease-fire in all armed conflicts, he said it was time to appeal for an end to all violence, “everywhere, now.”

“For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes,” Gutteres said in his statement. “And so I make a new appeal today for peace at home — and in homes — around the world.”

He also noted that health care providers and police were overwhelmed and other options for helping victims were stretched or not available as communities cut back services during lockdowns to fight the pandemic.

“I urge all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19,” Guterres said. In Japan, reports say Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to declare an emergency in Tokyo and other cities Tuesday. His government is also expected to announce a $550 billion economic package to fund coronavirus measures and support businesses and jobs.

Japanese officials say they cannot enforce a hard lockdown as in China or parts of Europe, a government restraint that is partly a legacy of Japan's fascist history until the end of World War II. Most of the measures in Abe's declaration would be requests and instructions, and objectors would not be punished. But such requests would put major psychological pressure on people to comply.

Tokyo reported more than 100 cases two days in a row for a total of 1,033 on Sunday. Nationwide, Japan has more than 4,000 cases, with more than 80 deaths. In the United States, the nation’s top doctor warned that many would face “the hardest and saddest week” of their lives while Britain assumed the unwelcome mantle of deadliest coronavirus hot spot in Europe after a record 24-hour jump in deaths that surpassed even hard-hit Italy’s.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hospitalized for tests after continuing to have symptoms of COVID-19. Downing St. says the hospitalization is a “precautionary step” and he remains in charge of the government.

In many parts of Asia, there have been victories against the spread of the disease. But on Monday South Korea’s vice health minister, Kim Gang-lip, expressed concerns over loosened attitudes toward social distancing that he says puts the country at potential risk of an infection “explosion.” The country reported 47 new cases of the coronavirus, the smallest daily jump since Feb. 20, but rising infections have been linked to international arrivals as students and other South Korean nationals flock back from the West as outbreaks worsened and school years were suspended.

Some hard-hit areas were seeing glimmers of hope — the number of people dying appeared to be slowing in New York City, Spain and Italy. Leaders cautioned, however, that any gains could easily be reversed if people did not continue to adhere to strict lockdowns.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams offered a stark warning about the expected wave of virus deaths. “This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment,’’ he told “Fox News Sunday.” But President Donald Trump later suggested the hard weeks ahead could foretell the turning of a corner. “We’re starting to see light at the end of the tunnel,” Trump said at an evening White House briefing.

In New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, daily deaths dropped slightly, along with intensive care admissions and the number of patients who needed breathing tubes inserted, but New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned it was “too early to tell” the significance of those numbers.

The outlook, however, was bleak in Britain, which reported more than 600 deaths Sunday, surpassing Italy’s increase. Italy still has, by far, the world’s highest coronavirus death toll — almost 16,000.

In a rare televised address, Queen Elizabeth II appealed to Britons to rise the occasion, while acknowledging enormous disruptions, grief and financial difficulties. “I hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge,” she said. “And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.”

Worldwide, more than 1.2 million people have been confirmed infected and nearly 70,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, due to limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

The vast majority of infected people recover from the virus, which is spread by microscopic droplets from coughs or sneezes. For most people, the virus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause pneumonia and death.

Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.

Europe sees more signs of hope as Italy's virus curve falls

April 06, 2020

ROME (AP) — Europe saw further signs of hope in the coronavirus outbreak Sunday as Italy's daily death toll was at its lowest in more than two weeks and its infection curve was finally on a downward slope. In Spain, new deaths dropped for the third straight day.

But the optimism was tempered by Britain's jump in virus deaths that outpaced the daily toll in Italy. Angelo Borrelli, the head of Italy's Civil Protection agency on Sunday, said there were 525 deaths in the 24-hour period since Saturday evening. That’s the lowest such figure in the country since 427 deaths were registered on March 19.

Italy now has a total of 15,887 deaths and nearly 129,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. A day shy of one month under a national lockdown that the Italian government ordered, the lower count of day-to-day deaths brought some encouragement.

The number of intensive care unit beds occupied by COVID-19 patients has also showed a decrease in the last few days, including in northern Lombardy, Italy’s most stricken region. Borrelli also noted with a measure of satisfaction that the number of those hospitalized but not in ICU beds also has decreased.

Italy recorded 4,316 new cases Sunday. Earlier in the outbreak, daily increases in caseloads topped the 6,000 mark. “The curve, which had been plateauing for days, is starting to descend,″ national health official Silvio Brusaferro told reporters, referring to graphs indicating daily numbers of confirmed cases.

But Borrelli warned: “This good news shouldn’t make us drop our guard." For days, anticipating a possible downward slope in the curve, government and health authorities in Italy have cautioned that restrictions on movement would likely last in some form for weeks.

The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause severe pneumonia and lead to death. As warm, sunny weather beckoned across Europe, Queen Elizabeth II appealed to Britons to exercise self-discipline in “an increasingly challenging time."

Britain recorded 708 new coronavirus deaths Saturday while Italy reported 631 deaths that day. With 621 more deaths reported on Sunday, Britain has 4,934 virus deaths overall among 47,806 cases. Those coming down with the virus in the U.K. include Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the health secretary, England’s chief medical official and Prince Charles, heir to the British throne.

There are wide fears that Johnson’s Conservative government didn't take the virus seriously enough at first and that beautiful spring weather will tempt Britons and others to break social distancing rules.

Restrictions on movement vary from country to country. In Germany and Britain, residents can exercise and walk their dogs, as well as go to the supermarket and do other essential tasks. Swedish authorities have advised the public to practice social distancing, but schools, bars and restaurants are still open.

Spain announced 6,023 confirmed new infections Sunday, taking its national tally to 130,759 but down from an increase of 7,026 infections in the previous day. Spain’s confirmed new virus deaths dropped for the third straight day, to 674 — the first time daily deaths have fallen below 800 in the past week.

“We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

Danica Kirka in London, David Rising in Berlin, and Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

German restaurant takes novel approach to keep cider flowing

April 06, 2020

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — How does a traditional German restaurant comply with the untraditional demands of the coronavirus era? Thomas Metzmacher was faced with the prospect of having to shut down his Frankfurt restaurant specializing in a traditional tart hard cider due to German regulations prohibiting groups of people from gathering amid the coronavirus pandemic. So he came up with a novel solution.

After toying with the idea of a delivery service, he instead turned his half-timbered restaurant into a makeshift drive-thru. Now he is serving up schnitzel, fried potatoes and other German favorites — of course the tasty Aeppelwoi cider — to customers waiting in a long line of cars.

“The restaurant had to close, nobody was allowed to sit inside anymore, so it was either give up or fight,” he said. “And I decided to fight.” Metzmacher’s Zum Lahmen Esel restaurant, which has been in operation since 1807, normally seats 200 people inside and another 200 in an outdoor garden.

Now, cars drive up to a small booth in front of the restaurant, where one of Metzmacher’s 36 employees takes their order, and then pushes a plastic tub down a makeshift slide to the car’s window to take payment at a safe distance. Driving ahead, the customer gets their order in another tub pushed to their window.

“It’s going great,” says Metzmacher. “My regulars are supporting me, they’re really happy I’m open.” Without people sticking around for a few more of the signature ciders, profit margins are low but Metzmacher says it’s better than nothing.

“At least we’re carrying on and we’re continuing to work,” he says.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized with virus

April 06, 2020

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to a hospital Sunday for tests, his office said, because he is still suffering symptoms, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Johnson’s office said the admission to an undisclosed London hospital came on the advice of his doctor and was not an emergency. The prime minister's Downing St. office said it was a “precautionary step” and Johnson remains in charge of the government.

Johnson, 55, has been quarantined in his Downing St. residence since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 — the first known head of government to fall ill with the virus. Johnson has continued to preside at daily meetings on Britain’s response to the outbreak and has released several video messages during his 10 days in isolation.

In a message Friday, a flushed and red-eyed Johnson said he said he was feeling better but still had a fever. The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death.

U.S. President Donald Trump offered encouragement to Johnson as he opened a White House briefing on the pandemic Sunday. ”All Americans are praying for him,” Trump said. Johnson has received medical advice remotely during his illness, but going to a hospital means doctors can see him in person.

Dr. Rupert Beale, a group leader of the cell biology of infection lab at the Francis Crick Institute for biomedical studies, said doctors would likely “be monitoring important vital signs such as oxygen saturations,” as well as performing blood tests, assessing Johnson’s organ function and possibly performing a CT scan on his chest to assess his lungs.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been designated to take over if Johnson becomes incapacitated, is set to lead the government's coronavirus meeting Monday. Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds, 32, revealed Saturday that she spent a week in bed with coronavirus symptoms, though she wasn't tested. Symonds, who is pregnant, said she was now “on the mend.” She has not been staying with the prime minister in Downing St. since his diagnosis.

The government said Sunday that almost 48,000 people have been confirmed to have COVID-19 in the U.K., and 4,934 have died. Johnson replaced Theresa May as Conservative prime minister in July and won a resounding election victory in December on a promise to complete Britain's exit from the European Union. But Brexit, which became official Jan. 31, has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.

Johnson's government was slower than those in some European countries to impose restrictions on daily life in response to the pandemic, leading his critics to accuse him of complacency. He imposed an effective nationwide lockdown March 23, but his government remains under huge pressure to boost the country's number of hospital beds and ventilators and to expand testing for the virus.

London has been the center of the outbreak in the U.K., and politicians and civil servants have been hit hard. Several other members of Johnson’s government have also tested positive for the virus, including Health Secretary Matt Hancock and junior Health Minister Nadine Dorries. Both have recovered.

News of Johnson’s admission to hospital came an hour after Queen Elizabeth II made a rare televised address to the nation, in which she urged Britons to remain “united and resolute” in the fight against the virus.

“We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us,” the 93-year-old monarch said, drawing parallels to the struggle of World War II. “We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again," she said.