Brexit date delayed by British parliament

Matthew Meyer, The Carroll News

Supporters of the Brexit movement lost another major battle in the British Parliament last week, as three separate votes have gone against the proposed Brexit deal, for the delaying of their departure from the European Union.

The cause for this delay is predominantly because both sides of the argument in Parliament are unwilling to compromise on the terms of the departure agreement between the U.K. and the EU. However, many see the delay as inexcusable, and as a defiance of the will of the people.

According to The Washington Post, many Brexiters have since began protesting the “betrayal of their dream” and are beginning to lose hope that the departure will ever take place.

The first vote on Tuesday, March 12, rejected United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Theresa May’s withdrawal deal, which sought after a compromise on key issues, such as trade agreements, citizenship and physical borders, between the U.K. and EU. The vote totalled 391-242 against the prime minister’s revised version of the Brexit compromise.

Then on March 13, Parliament struck down the idea of a Brexit without an agreement between the EU and the two of the four countries of the United Kingdom which voted to leave, England and Wales.

Though this vote passed narrowly, 312-308, it was ultimately necessary, giving both sides more time to come to an agreement.

According to polls from The Guardian, even the majority of Brexiters, along with the rest of the EU, oppose a so-called “hard” Brexit, due to the economic repercussions it would bring.

With no agreement foreseeable in the next few weeks, the third vote in the House of Commons, on March 15, resulted in a 413-202 decision in favor of delaying Britain’s exit, which was originally scheduled for March 29, until at least June 30. This will force May to request the delay at a British-European Union summit March 21.

Editor’s Note: Information from The Washington Post and The Guardian was used in this report.