Theresa May offers ‘new Brexit deal’ in last-ditch effort to leave EU
In a last-ditch bid to coax lawmakers into supporting her Withdrawal Agreement Bill, May laid out fresh pledges on workers’ rights and environmental provisions, as well as a temporary customs relationship with the European Union. She also promised to give Parliament a vote on whether to hold a second referendum. The latter is sure to isolate hardline Brexiteers within May’s own Conservative Party, who want to see a clean break with the bloc.”This deal is not the final word on our future relationship with the EU, it is a stepping stone to reach that future, a future where the people of the UK determine the road ahead for the country we all love,” May said in a press conference on Tuesday. “This deal lays the groundwork and settles many of the core issues, but in the years ahead Parliament will be able to debate, decide and refine the exact nature of our relationship with the EU. Some will want us to draw closer. Others will want to become more distant. Both sides can make their case in the months and years ahead.”The new proposal also places a legal obligation on the government to seek alternative arrangements to the controversial “backstop” arrangement, an insurance policy designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, by December 2020.
