Britain faces an April 12 deadline to present the European Union with a new plan or crash out of the bloc
LONDON — Britain’s Brexit logjam has become a pileup. Lawmakers have voted, and the results are a mess. They don’t want Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU divorce deal, don’t want to leave without a deal, and don’t want any of the other options on offer.
The deal is a compromise that has pleased almost no one. 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. The exercise did not provide clarity — all eight options on offer were defeated. But it did hint at a potential compromise. The measure that came closest to a majority, defeated by 272 votes to 264, called for Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after it leaves.
There’s a good chance a withdrawal agreement that included a customs union pledge would be approved by Parliament, and welcomed by the EU.The other option with significant support called for any deal to be put to public vote in a “confirmatory referendum.” The idea was backed by 268 lawmakers and opposed by 295, and has significant support from opposition parties, plus some members of the Conservatives.
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