Amid Brexit deadlock, UK to participate in EU polls on May 23: May's de facto deputy

Amid a deadlock between ruling Conservative Party and opposition Labour Party over Brexit, the United Kingdom is expected to participate in the European Parliament elections slated to be held on May 23, Prime Minister Theresa May's de facto deputy David Lidington said on Wednesday.

However, Lidington said that the Member of the European Parliament (MEPs) will not "take their places in Brussels," if the government and Opposition reach an agreement over May's Brexit deal or a cross-party plan, Xinhua News Agency reported.

May has been making efforts to push her beleaguered agreement or an alternative withdrawal deal through the British Parliament in a bid to prevent the UK from participating in the EU elections.

Negotiations between the Conservatives and Labour took place earlier in the day, but no joint agreement was reached. The talks will resume on Wednesday.

The two parties have been in discussions for over a month to try to broker a Brexit deal that can secure majority support in parliament after May's minority government suffered three defeats on her preferred deal this year and was forced to delay Britain's original departure from the EU from March 29 to April 12.

Last month, the EU leaders agreed to delay the Brexit process to another six months, with October 31 as the new date for the UK's withdrawal from the European bloc.

Meanwhile, a Downing Street spokesperson said that May "deeply regrets" the UK did not exit from the EU as planned on March 29 and recognises "many people felt great frustration that the European elections were going ahead."

"But she hopes Parliament will agree to a Brexit plan before MEPs start their session in July," May's spokesperson was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Last week, May had also made bullish efforts to make opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn agree on a cross-party deal for ensuring UK's smooth exit from the EU.

The British Prime Minister claimed that she is close to reaching an agreement with Corbyn and the two sides should "put their differences aside" and get a Brexit plan over the line in the House of Commons.