May postpones Brexit vote, EU mulls delay to 2021

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The vote by British lawmakers on the Brexit deal will be postponed again and held by March 12, Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed on Sunday, as it emerged that the European Union is exploring a plan to delay Britain's exit from the bloc until 2021.

Speaking to reporters on the plane to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for the League of Arab States-European Union summit on Sunday, May ruled out bringing the Brexit deal to the House of Commons this week, local media said.

May was quoted by the Guardian as saying: "My team will be back in Brussels on Tuesday. As a result of that, we won't bring a meaningful vote to parliament this week, but we will ensure that that happens by March 12. But it's still within our grasp to leave the EU by March 29 and that is what we are planning to do."

Ministers vow to back Brexit delay to avoid no-deal, defying PM

The new date for a meaningful vote in the House of Commons will be just 17 days before Britain is scheduled to end its EU membership on March 29.

Although the LAS-EU summit is not scheduled to discuss Brexit, May said she would take the opportunity to meet with leaders of EU member states in her quest to get changes to her deal.

The Guardian reported that May is expected to hold meetings with the European Council President Donald Tusk later on Sunday and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday in Egypt.

British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the International Congress Center ahead of the first joint League of Arab States-European Union summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, February 24, 2019. /VCG Photo

In what has been a stormy week for British politics, 11 MPs – three Conservatives and eight from the main opposition Labour Party – have left their parties and formed an Independent Group in the House of Commons. Another Labour lawmaker also quit the party, but has not joined the new grouping.

Meanwhile three of May's senior ministers, Amber Rudd, Greg Clark and David Gauke, told the Daily Mail newspaper that they would support moves to extend Article 50, the mechanism that laid down Britain's departure date as March 29. They said their move was to avoid a "disastrous" no-deal Brexit.

Reports emerged on Monday that the EU is considering offering a lengthy delay, should the British government make such a request. The Guardian reported that a delay until 2021 was being considered to give time for all negotiations – on the divorce and the future relationship – to be completed, thereby making the contentious Irish backstop irrelevant.

Keir Starmer, Brexit spokesman for the Labour Party, attacked May's decision to delay the vote.

"This decision to further delay the meaningful vote is the height of irresponsibility and an admission of failure," he said. "Theresa May is recklessly running down the clock in a desperate attempt to force MPs to choose between her deal and no deal. Parliament cannot stand by and allow this to happen."

(With input from agencies)