Theresa May changes strategy to offer MPs chance to delay Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May made a dramatic shift in her Brexit strategy on Tuesday and offered MPs the chance vote for a delay to the March 29 exit deadline if her deal failed to clear the House of Commons next month.

In a statement to Parliament, May announced that her government would table a "meaningful vote" on the final withdrawal agreement reached with the European Union (EU) on March 12.

If that vote fails to be passed by MPs, May said she would table an amendment the following day, March 13, for MPs to vote on whether they are prepared to leave the EU without any deal in place.

In the event that MPs reject such an amendment, which is widely expected, a vote will be held on March 14 for MPs to have their say on an extension to the Article 50 process to delay the Brexit deadline. The government would thenbring forward the necessary legislation to change the exit date by a "short limited" period.

"Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended. Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on March 29," May said in her Commons statement.

"An extension cannot take no deal off the table. The only way to do that is to revoke Article 50, which I shall not do, or agree a deal," she said, effectively offering the UK Parliament a stark choice between her deal, no deal or a delayed Brexit.

The move came as there was mounting rebellion within her own Conservative Party ranks, with ministers within her Cabinet calling for her to take a chaotic no-deal Brexit off the table. Her statement came soon after a Cabinet meeting during which Brexiteer ministers reportedly accused their anti-Brexit colleagues of undermining the Prime Minister and attempting to push her into ruling out no deal.

May's latest set of amendment offerings for next month avoids a defeat for the government on Wednesday, which could see MPs voting to take control of the Brexit process when a series of votes will be held in the Commons.

The British prime minister, who has remained stubbornly opposed to any delay to the Brexit deadline, warned on Tuesday that an extension to the Article 50 process beyond the end of June would mean the UK taking part in the European Parliament elections, which are scheduled for May 23.

She said: "What kind of message would that send to the more than 17 million people who voted to leave the EU nearly three years ago now?And the House should be clear that a short extension not beyond the end of June would almost certainly have to be a one-off.

"If we had not taken part in the European Parliament elections, it would be extremely difficult to extend again, so it would create a much sharper cliff edge in a few months' time."