Hours before key Brexit voting, PM May loses her ‘escape route’

London, Jan 15: It's just over two months before Brexit takes effect formally but the Theresa May government was facing a serious crisis over the prime minister's deal over the same. On Tuesday, January 15, hours before the voting on May's controversial Brexit deal which has caused a deep rift in her Conservative Party, Labour MP Hilary Benn was forced to pull his amendments to May's Brexit deal for a win may have concealed the PM's defeat on the deal that many are expecting to happen.

On Monday, January 14, May was heard saying in a region which has backed Brexit that if her deal was not accepted, Brexit might not happen at all and such a consequence would serve a serious blow to the trust factor in politics.

According to a report in Guardian, the government whips had suggested those parliamentarians who hoped to see May evading the humiliation of a big defeat on her Brexit deal should voted Benn's amendment which would have rejected May's deal and stalled a no-deal Brexit.

If the amendment was passed, it would have made the voting on May's deal itself impossible, the report added.

Benn himself confirmed on Twitter that he had withdrawn the amendment.

"I have decided to withdraw my amendment to the government's withdrawal agreement motion today which would have rejected both the PM's deal and leaving with no deal," he said.

"It's vital that we now get the clearest expression of view from the house on the government's deal - like many others I will vote against it - but I intend to pursue a 'no to no-deal' vote at the earliest opportunity."