After Brexit rejection, British Prime Minister May wins confidence vote
Embattled British Prime Minister Theresa May won a confidence vote yesterday and averted a general election, a day after her government suffered a historic parliamentary defeat over her Brexit divorce deal with the European Union. May's government won by 325 votes to 306 - a majority of 19. The PM appealed to MPs to come together and break the impasse on Brexit Divorce agreement.
Labour leader and Leader of Opposition Jeremy Corbyn argued that May's "zombie" administration had lost the right to govern during a six-hour debate on his motion. His party has not ruled out tabling further no-confidence motions. After her victory, the British PM told MPs that she would "continue to work to deliver on the result of the referendum and leave the European Union".
May invited all party leaders to have individual meetings with her on way ahead for Brexit, starting tonight, but called on them to approach them with a "constructive spirit". "We must find solutions that're negotiable and command sufficient support in this House," she added. May also reiterated a promise to return to the Commons on Monday to give MPs another vote on her plans.
"The House has put its confidence in this government. I stand ready to work with any member of this House to deliver Brexit and ensure that this House retains the confidence of the British people," said May, who is Britain's PM since 2016. Her divorce deal to leave the EU was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs on Tuesday, triggering a no-confidence motion against her government.
The rejection has left the country with no plans for Brexit on March 29. Within minutes after the defeat, the biggest for a sitting British government in history, Corbyn's Labour party moved a motion of no-confidence against the May government to be held on Wednesday. In fact, 69-year-old Corbyn also refused to hold talks with May after the confidence vote.
After the confidence vote, May met several party leaders, but Labour's Jeremy Corbyn refused to hold talks unless a no-deal Brexit was ruled out. Britain is set to exit the 28-member European Union, which it joined in 1973, on March 29. With just over two months to go until the scheduled departure, Britain is still undecided on what to do.
