As was expected, PM May’s Brexit deal faces massive defeat

London, Jan 16: The script unfolded as it was expected. UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal faced a massive defeat in the parliament on Tuesday, January 15. It was rejected by 230 votes - the largest defeat for any sitting government ever.

While 432 MPs rejected the deal, it was accepted by only 202. The deal set out terms of the UK's formal exit from the European Union on March 29.

Sensing opportunity, Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour Party has tabled a vote of no confidence which could trigger a general election, the third since 2015.

For May, who stepped into the shoes of her predecessor David Cameron in the wake of the Brexit referendum in June 2016 and spent a major period of her stint trying to give the unprecedented political development a direction. She spent two years trying to hammer out a deal with the EU aiming at an orderly exit from the regional body and setting up a 21-month period transition period to negotiate a free trade agreement.

The key voting was originally scheduled to take place in December but May postponed it with the hope of winning more MPs by her side.