THERESA May has conceded the Brexit Bill as it currently stands will not be supported by MPs.
Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, the prime minister confirmed reports earlier today that a vote on the bill scheduled for tomorrow would not take place following widespread opposition.
Saying she had “listened very carefully to what has been said in this chamber and out of it”, Mrs May was heckled and jeered by MPs as she announced she would go back to EU leaders to discuss the deal further.
She said: “It is clear that, while there is broad support for many aspects of the deal, on one issue - the Northern Ireland backstop – there remain widespread concerns.”
She added: “Whatever future relationship you want, there is no deal available that does not include the backstop.”
The prime minister also said the government would step-up preparations for a no-deal Brexit. But she warned holding a second referendum “risks dividing the country again when as a house we should be bringing it back together”.
“There will be no enduring and successful Brexit without compromise on both sides,” she said.
“I’m in absolutely no doubt this deal is the right one, it honours the result of the referendum, it protects jobs security and our union but it also represents the very best deal which is actually negotiable,” she added.
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