On January 15th, the UK Parliament rejected the withdrawal agreement proposed by Prime Minister Theresa May. The agreement, which outlines the terms and conditions for the UK`s departure from the European Union, was voted against by a significant number of Members of Parliament.
So, who exactly voted against the withdrawal agreement? The answer is not a simple one, as the reasons for opposition to the deal were varied and complex.
The majority of MPs who voted against the agreement were members of the Labour Party and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Both parties had expressed concerns about the deal`s provisions for Northern Ireland, which would have seen Northern Ireland remain closely linked to the EU, while the rest of the UK would be free to negotiate its own trade deals.
Labour MP`s also criticized the agreement for not giving enough clarity on future economic and trade relations with the EU, and for not providing strong enough protections for workers` rights and environmental standards.
The DUP, a Northern Irish party that supports the Conservative government, voted against the deal because they believed it would weaken Northern Ireland`s ties to the UK, and potentially lead to a united Ireland. They also argued that the deal did not do enough to protect Northern Ireland`s position within the UK`s internal market.
Some Conservative MPs also voted against the deal, despite their party`s support for it. This included members of the “European Research Group” (ERG), a group of MPs who support a hard Brexit and have been critical of the Prime Minister`s negotiations with the EU.
Overall, the vote against the withdrawal agreement highlights the deep divisions within UK politics over the issue of Brexit. While some MPs oppose the deal because they want a closer relationship with the EU, others want to cut ties completely and pursue a “no deal” Brexit.
With less than three months to go before the UK`s scheduled departure from the EU, it remains unclear what will happen next. The UK now faces the prospect of leaving without a deal, or of delaying the Brexit process in order to renegotiate a more agreeable withdrawal agreement.
Regardless of what happens, one thing is certain: the political fallout from the vote against the withdrawal agreement will continue to be felt in the UK for years to come.