May asks MPs for more time to hold Brexit talks

[LONDON] British Prime Minister Theresa May asked MPs Tuesday to give her more time for talks with the European Union on renegotiating the Brexit deal, just weeks before the scheduled March 29 departure date.

"Having secured an agreement with the EU for further talks, we now need some time to complete that process," Mrs May said, promising a further series of parliamentary votes on Brexit on February 27 if the government fails to do so by then.

In a statement to parliament to update lawmakers on her negotiations with the EU to secure changes to the Brexit deal, Mrs May said again she did not see a customs union as proposed by the opposition Labour Party as the way to secure agreement.

"The talks are at a crucial stage and we now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House requires and deliver Brexit on time," she said. "By getting the changes we need to the backstop; by protecting and enhancing workers' rights and environmental protections and by enhancing the role of parliament in the next phase of negotiations, I believe we can reach a deal that this House can support." 

AFP,REUTERS