Prime Minister Theresa May is hopeful of finding a way to get parliament to approve a Brexit plan without another public vote. According to reports, if forced, she may go for a second Brexit referendum. May had discussions with officials and ministers about holding a referendum that would give voters the choice between leaving the European Union with a deal, leaving without a deal, or not leaving at all.
According to sources, the referendum plan would become relevant if talks with opposition Labour Party failed and a majority in parliament supported holding another public vote. But another source denied there had been a meeting to discuss a second EU referendum.
Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the EU, which was split 52 per cent for Brexit and 48 per cent against it, has continued to divide the country and paralyse the political system. May’s minority government missed a March 29 exit date and there is huge uncertainty over how, when, and even if Britain will leave. May has publicly opposed holding a second referendum. She has said that if talks with Labour fail, parliament will be asked to vote on series of options on how to break the impasse, but those options have not been decided yet. Talks with Labour, which has pledged conditional support for a second referendum, are due to resume and May’s ministers have spent recent days talking up the prospect of a swift deal. However, leaked details on a possible compromise have angered Labour’s negotiators, and lawmakers from both sides have expressed their opposition to a cross-party deal.
