British PM promises vote on 2nd referendum in Withdrawal Agreement Bill

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday that the Withdrawal Agreement Bill will include a vote on whether to hold another referendum.

“I recognize the genuine and sincere strength of feeling across the House on this important issue,” she said, calling it the “last chance” to get Brexit done.

“If MPs vote against the second reading of this Bill, they are voting to stop Brexit,” she said.

The latest offer from the prime minister came after the six-week-long cross-party talks between the government and the opposition Labor ended yielding little progress last week.

“If the House of Commons were to vote for a referendum, it would be requiring the government to make provisions for such a referendum — including legislation if it wanted to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement,” May said in her speech entitled “A new Brexit deal – seeking common ground in Parliament”.

May also promised in her 10-point offer to MPs the measures on the alternative arrangements to replace the backstop by December 2020, the temporary customs relations, environment and workers’ rights to attract the support of Labor MPs.

“As part of the cross-party discussions the government offered a compromise option of a temporary customs union on goods only, including a UK say in relevant EU trade policy and an ability to change the arrangement, so a future government could move it in its preferred direction,” she said.

“I knew delivering Brexit was not going to be simple or straightforward,” May said, adding that delivering Brexit has proved “even harder” than she anticipated.

The Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which will implement the content of the deal with European Union, will be put to a Parliament vote in early June.