Britain’s exit from the European Union was in disarray after the implosion of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit strategy left her under pressure from rival factions to leave without a deal, go for an election or forge a much softer divorce.
After one of the most tumultuous weeks in British politics since the 2016 referendum, it was still uncertain how, when or even if the UK will ever leave the bloc it first joined 46 years ago.
A third defeat of May’s divorce deal, after her pledge to quit if it was passed, left one of the weakest leaders in a generation grappling with a perilous crisis over Brexit, the UK’s most significant move since World War Two.
Parliament will vote on different Brexit options on Monday and then May could try one last roll of the dice by bringing her deal back to a vote in parliament as soon as Tuesday.
“There are no ideal choices available and there are very good arguments against any possible outcome at the moment but we are going to have to do something,” said justice secretary David Gauke, who voted in the 2016 referendum to stay in the EU.
“The Prime Minister is reflecting on what the options are, and is considering what may happen but I don’t think any decisions have been made,” he told BBC TV.
Many in May’s party, though, have lost patience. The Sun newspaper reported that 170 of her 314 Conservative lawmakers had sent her a letter demanding that Brexit take place in the next few months — deal or no deal.