London - Britain's parliament will vote
on Wednesday on whether to leave the European Union in 16 days
without an agreement as the government said it would eliminate
import tariffs on a wide range of goods in a no-deal Brexit
scenario.
British lawmakers handed Prime Minister Theresa May a second
humiliating defeat for her Brexit plan on Tuesday, plunging the
country deeper into political crisis with almost no clues as to
how it will emerge from the chaos.
It means the world's fifth largest economy could leave the
EU without a deal; there could be an extension to the March 29
divorce date which is enshrined in law; May could hold a snap
election or try a third time to get her deal passed; or a
another referendum on the issue is also possible.
On Wednesday, lawmakers are expected to reject a no-deal
Brexit in a vote at 1900 GMT and on Thursday are then due to
vote on whether to ask the EU for a delay to Brexit, something
to which all the bloc's other 27 members must agree.
A spokesman for European Council President Donald Tusk,
representing EU governments, said Britain would have to provide
a "credible justification" for any request for a delay.
"We won't know how long that extension will be, that's for
them to decide. We won't know what conditions will be attached,"
Brexit minister Stephen Barclay told BBC radio.
The default position if nothing else is agreed remains that
Britain will exit with no deal, a scenario that business leaders
warn would bring chaos to markets and supply chains, and other
critics say could cause shortages of food and medicines.
Supporters of Brexit argue that, while a no-deal divorce
might bring some short-term instability, in the longer term it
would allow the United Kingdom to thrive and forge trade deals
across the world.
TARIFFS
Unveiling details of a tariff plan that would last for up to
12 months in the wake of a no-deal Brexit, the government said
87 percent of total imports to the United Kingdom by value would
be eligible for tariff-free access, up from 80 percent now.
It also said it would not introduce new checks or controls
on goods moving from the Irish Republic to Northern Ireland, a
major concern among Irish politicians who feared a hard border
could see a return of violence which blighted the British
province for more than 30 years until a 1998 peace accord.
May has said the government would not instruct lawmakers
from her own Conservative party, who are bitterly divided over
Brexit, on how to vote on Wednesday, as would normally be the
case.
"If you pushed me to the end point where it's a choice
between no deal and no Brexit ... I think no deal is going to be
very disruptive for the economy and I think no deal also has
serious questions for the union," Barclay said.
"But I think no Brexit is catastrophic for our democracy.
Between those very unpleasant choices, I think no Brexit is the
bigger risk."
The European Union said the risk of a damaging no-deal
Brexit had "increased significantly" but there would be no more
negotiations with London on the divorce terms, struck with May
after two-and-a-half years of tortuous negotiations.
Britons voted by 52-48 percent in 2016 to leave the EU but
the decision has not only divided the main parties but also
exposed deep rifts in British society, bringing concerns about
immigration and globalisation to the fore.
Many fear Brexit will divide the West as it grapples with
both the unconventional US presidency of Donald Trump and
growing assertiveness from Russia and China, leaving Britain
economically weaker and with its security capabilities depleted.
Supporters say it allows Britain to control immigration and
take advantage of global opportunities, striking new trade deals
with the United States and others while keeping close links to
the EU, which, even without Britain, would be a single market of
440 million people.