British PM faces new battle in Parliament over Brexit

The British government is facing another knife-edge vote in Parliament over how much control lawmakers should have in the country's departure from the European Union.

The House of Commons is debating a proposal Wednesday that would make the government get Parliament's approval before agreeing to afinal divorce deal with the EU.

Prime Minister Theresa May faced rebellion last week from pro-EU lawmakers in the governing Conservative Party, but avoided defeat by promising Parliament would get a "meaningful vote" on the U.K.-EU divorce agreement before Brexit occurs next March.

On the table are two similar technical definitions of whatthat promise means: one proposed by the government, and oneproposed by a pro-EU member of May's Conservative Party, DominicGrieve.

Parliament will decide which version to approve later onWednesday in what is expected to be a very tight vote.

Here is a summary of what is agreed, and where differencesremain.

Agreed

• Once the government has agreed a Brexit deal with the EU,it will present that deal in parliament and allow lawmakers toapprove or reject it.
• If that deal is rejected by parliament, or if thegovernment decides no deal is possible, or if a deal has not been reached by Jan. 21, 2019, the government has to come upwith a new plan of action and present it to parliament.

Not agreed

• The government says parliament should be allowed to debatethe plan on next steps, but not to amend the plan. They arguethis would bind the government's hands in negotiations, whichMay and her team say is unacceptable.
• The rival amendment says parliament should be able todebate the plan on next steps and amend it if necessary. Itsbackers argue that this would not bind the government's hands,and is necessary to make the voteon the final Brexit deal trulymeaningful.

The real power of the rebel amendment is political. It paves the way for lawmakers to explicitly endorse an alternative to May's plan.

If parliament does that, it would be hugely damaging for Mayand make it very difficult for an already weakened leader tofollow through with her long-standing promise to leave the EUwithout an agreed exit deal unless Brussels agrees to a "gooddeal."

Anything that decreases the probability of a "no deal" scenario will be welcomed by most businesses, who fear the disruption of an unmanaged and abrupt exit.