EU leaders have warned the second crushing defeat of Theresa May’s Brexit deal has “significantly increased the likelihood" of the UK crashing out without an agreement.
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said his side had done “all that is possible to reach an agreement”.
He insisted the remaining 27 EU countries will only accept an extension to the Brexit deadline if there is a “credible justification” for doing so.
It came after Mrs May’s Brexit strategy was dealt another devastating blow, with MPs rejected her deal by an overwhelming majority for a second time.
The Withdrawal Agreement was defeated by 149 votes, reduced from the record 230-vote defeat of the first "meaningful vote" in January.
Mr Tusk said he regretted the result, adding: “Given the additional assurances provided by the EU in December, January and yesterday, it is difficult to see what more we can do.
“If there is a solution to the current impasse it can only be found in London.
“The EU for its part continues to stand by the Withdrawal Agreement, including the backstop, which serves to prevent a hard border in Ireland and preserve the integrity of the single market unless and until alternative arrangements can be found.
“With only 17 days left to 29 March, today's vote has significantly increased the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit.
“We will continue our no-deal preparations and ensure that we will be ready if such a scenario arises.
“Should there be a UK reasoned request for an extension, the EU27 will consider it and decide by unanimity.
“The EU27 will expect a credible justification for a possible extension and its duration.
“The smooth functioning of the EU institutions will need to be ensured.”
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said it had done everything it could to help get the Withdrawal Agreement over the line.
He added: “The impasse can only be solved in the UK. Our no-deal preparations are now more important than ever before.”
MPs will vote on whether to rule out a no-deal Brexit tomorrow, but it will still remain the default option if nothing else is put in its place.
On Thursday, Westminster is set to vote on whether to ask the EU for an extension to the Article 50 process – pushing back the date of the UK’s exit.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel