Brexit: Theresa May warns of ‘uncharted territory’ if MPs reject deal

Theresa May has warned the UK faces “uncharted territory” if Parliament rejects her Brexit deal as she vowed to redouble her efforts to win MPs round.

Next week’s vote would “definitely” go ahead, she told the BBC, as she promised new safeguards for Northern Ireland and to look at giving MPs more say in shaping future EU negotiations.

The UK’s March exit was “in danger” if MPs did not back the deal, she said.

But one Tory Brexiteer said support for leaving without a deal was “hardening”.

And one senior Labour figure said she believed a general election may be inevitable “within months” if there was deadlock in Parliament and Mrs May could not get her deal through.

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019, BBC reports.

A deal on the terms of the UK’s divorce and the framework of future relations has been agreed between the prime minister and the EU – but it needs to pass a vote by MPs in Parliament before it is accepted.

MPs are expected to be asked to vote on it on either the 14 or 15 of January.

The crunch vote was due to take place in December but was postponed at the last minute as Mrs May faced almost certain defeat amid opposition from many of her MPs, as well as Labour and other parties.

Asked by the BBC’s Andrew Marr if the vote would “definitely” go ahead in the second week of January, she replied “yes, we are going to hold the vote”.

She said she truly believed hers was a “good deal” for the country and that it was up to its opponents to spell out the alternatives to it.

Asked what had changed since last month, she said the EU had agreed to some “changes” and she was continuing to talk to European leaders as she tried to give MPs the “confidence” to support the deal.