UK PM Theresa May has a 'difficult job' to gather enough support to ratify her Brexit deal

By Euronews

Published on 09/03/2019 - 17:37

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has a "difficult job" to gather enough votes to push her Brexit deal over the line in parliament next week, Ireland's deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney, told Euronews

EU leaders remain hopeful that British MPs will vote to ratify a Brexit deal in parliament next week, despite a poor week in negotiations, Ireland's deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney has said.

Speaking with Euronews' Shona Murray, Coveney added now was not the time for the UK to be "looking for asks" in it's agreement.

"I think the UK doesn't quite seem to understand the parameters within which the EU has to operate here," he said.

"We've been respectful on that towards the UK and the decisions they've made, but we can't facilitate a situation where right at the end of these negotiations, the UK are looking for asks."

Coveney's comments came after UK Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a speech in Grimsby, north east England, on Friday, in which she appealed to the EU for "one more push" to get her deal over the line.

May has spent the last week trying to gather support for her deal ahead of a "meaningful vote" in UK parliament next week.

"We are hopeful, of course, that on Tuesday the parliament in Westminster will ratify a deal," Coveney said.

But "at the moment it looks like a difficult job...the negotiations have not gone well this week."

Should May's deal be rejected on Tuesday, MPs will be invited to vote the following day on whether the UK should leave the EU on March 29 without a deal. If MPs also vote to reject this, they will be invited again to vote on whether the UK should seek an extension to Article 50.

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