Theresa May, the British prime minister, told MPs yesterday they would have the chance to vote on whether to hold a second EU referendum if they supported her “bold new” Brexit deal. But the move, designed to win opposition votes, immediately prompted a backlash among Eurosceptics in her own party.
Mrs May said there was also a possibility of moving towards a close customs arrangement with the bloc if MPs backed her withdrawal agreement bill — the legislation implementing the draft exit treaty with the EU — in two weeks.
Her latest plan has been characterised by many MPs as a final, desperate bid to win House of Commons backing for a deal that has already been rejected three times.