The Brexit vote is being delayed. This came one day before the Commons vote on the Brexit’s deal was supposed to happen, and just minutes after Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the vote would go ahead.
Although there is no official confirmation yet, social media users immediately started to react to this news.
Jeremy Corbyn was one of the firsts to react to the possible delay. He said: “the Government has decided Theresa May’s Brexit deal is so disastrous that it has taken the desperate step of delaying its own vote at the eleventh hour.”
The Government has decided Theresa May’s Brexit deal is so disastrous that it has taken the desperate step of delaying its own vote at the eleventh hour. pic.twitter.com/3aO2QsM4W2
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) 10 December 2018
BrexitVote’s hashtag is one of today’s trendiest hashtags on Twitter. Overall, Twitter users are reacting negatively to the news, and some of them are enjoying the moment by making fun of it. Here are some reactions:
Emergency cabinet meeting decide to call off Brexit vote #BrexitVote pic.twitter.com/tjrh1EsnIR
— John pitchford (@Johnnypapa64) 10 December 2018
Brexit vote delayed pic.twitter.com/P4fBbw5AlL
— Adam Parsons (@AdamParsons1) 10 December 2018
Theresa May reviews her #BrexitVote options. pic.twitter.com/D2lGZm1BTI
— Malcolm Tucker (@Tucker5law) 10 December 2018
Theresa May desperately trying to find a way out of this mess:#Brexit#MayMustGo#BrexitVote pic.twitter.com/ZXuT9fUrll
— Nairn McDonald 🗣 (@NairnMcD) 10 December 2018
Live feed from Theresa May’s cabinet meeting discussing the #BrexitVote pic.twitter.com/yyYVJW5s6H
— Sven Henrich (@NorthmanTrader) 10 December 2018
Poor Theresa needs our help. Please, do what you can. 😢 #GTTO #PoliticsLive #BrexitVote #newsnight #VoteMayDownpic.twitter.com/GZLWiFMQbp
— 🌹#iVoted4Corbyn #GTT0🌹 (@Jezza4_PM) 10 December 2018
The deal was approved between Theresa May and the European Union on 25 November, to ensure a future relationship between the EU and the UK, but also to maintain the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU. Comments started to spread immediately after, saying the Prime Minister was going to face a devastating defeat. In fact, this morning, there were already 113 Tory MPs against the deal, with John Lamont as the latest to announce it. Also, dozens of MPs from the Conservative, Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems and the DUP parties were said to be joining forces to vote down Theresa May’s deal.
EU has already said that there is no chance for renegotiations. A European Commission’s spokesperson said this morning: “we have an agreement on the table. As president Juncker said, this deal is the best and only deal possible. We will not renegotiate.” However, it was also said that the United Kingdom can still cancel Brexit without the permission of the other 27 European Union members.
Now the Brexit vote faces the possibility of being delayed, or even cancelled, according to sources from the Government to the British media. BBC also confirms the news, based on two Government sources. When it comes to the possibility of the vote still happening this Tuesday, the spokesperson said: “the Commission is ready for all possible scenarios”.
The Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to make a statement at 15:30pm, in the House of Commons, about the reports. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom’s statement will follow, as well as a statement from the Brexit secretary on Article 50.
The United Kingdom is expected to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019.