House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has just rejected the chance of a third Brexit deal vote following Prime Minister Theresa May's second defeat in winning over the British Parliament.
According to BBC News, Bercow said he will rule out a third "meaningful vote" if no changes are made to the motion that MPs already rejected for the second time last week. He said the deal should not be "substantially the same," citing a 1604 convention that states a defeated motion cannot be voted on if it is in the same form.
Bercow made it clear that further votes on the highly-contested Brexit deal must pass the "test" he will set. He explained that last week's session was allowed since May included changes in her deal before voting took place. On the other hand, Bercow stressed that a third voting session is impossible if May does not introduce something new.
The United Kingdom only has 11 days before it departs from the European Union (EU) on March 29 and ministers have warned of a "constitutional crisis" as MPs find it hard to accept May's Brexit deal. The Prime Minister has already secured legal affirmations from the EU on how the withdrawal will affect business with Britain following Brexit but May seems to have a hard time winning the support of her government.
Political editor Laura Kuenssberg pointed out that while Speaker Bercow's decision does not mean that Brexit won't happen, his rejection of a third vote will make "extremely unlikely" for Parliament to push for a third session this week.
Kuenssberg explained that the latest development could block May's plan to request for a Brexit extension from EU leaders if Parliament finally approves her deal. If a short extension is not approved, the British exit could be delayed further.
"The conclusion that most people in Westminster would reach from that means that we're heading - it's likely - towards a closer relationship with the European Union, a softer Brexit than the one that Theresa May has set out," she said.
Meanwhile, the EU is expected to help May get things under her control through a formal agreement to delay the official Brexit date. According to The Guardian, sources in Brussels suggested that Bercow may be convinced May's deal has changed if the EU agrees to delay Brexit until July.
EU officials reportedly believe that council conclusions stating a change of Brexit date could help get May a third shot at getting the approval of Parliament. Until a formal agreement is inked, Bercow will not allow a third voting session and Britain will depart from the EU in less than two weeks.
