The UK parliament should vote on whatever additional Brexit guarantees UK Prime Minister Theresa May can secure from her European colleagues, and if that fails, the parliament should be given a chance to say what it could agree to, Greg Clark, the UK Secretary of State for Business, said Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2018) The UK parliament should vote on whatever additional Brexit guarantees UK Prime Minister Theresa May can secure from her European colleagues, and if that fails, the parliament should be given a chance to say what it could agree to, Greg Clark, the UK Secretary of State for Business, said Monday.
Last week, May said she was postponing the Commons vote on the Brexit deal, originally scheduled for December 11, as it was likely the agreement would not pass the parliament amid the lawmakers' concerns over the Irish border backstop. The prime minister proceeded to hold talks with European leaders on potential further reassurances.
"It is important, once the prime minister has finished her negotiations ... that parliament votes on that. If that were not to be successful, we need to have the agreement, we can't just have continuing uncertainty. And I think parliament should be invited to say what it would agree with," Clark told BBC Radio Four broadcaster, when asked if the House of Commons should be allowed to vote on different Brexit options, rather than simply for or against May's deal.
Clark added that businesses across the country would expect the lawmakers to "take responsibility rather than just be critics."
"I spend most of my week talking to businesses, large and small. There is a real demand for the end to the uncertainty, and that is available by endorsing the deal," the business secretary said.
May is expected to make a statement in the parliament later on Monday to warn against a second referendum, as talk about such a vote has grown louder in the last few days. On Sunday, education minister Damian Hinds stressed the government was not making any preparations for a second referendum.
