What next for Brexit? Here are 3 main scenarios
LONDON Here are the three main scenarios facing Britain after British MPs rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal on Tuesday, triggering a no-confidence vote.
TRY AGAIN
The British government and EU leaders have said their agreement is the best compromise available, and despite her historic defeat, Mrs May said it remained the only option.
Members of her Conservative party have said the deal keeps Britain too close to the European Union, while opposition parties said it fails to protect economic ties with the bloc.
Both sides also hate a plan to keep open the Irish border, the so-called backstop, which could see Britain indefinitely follow European rules on trade.
NO DEAL
This is billed as the doomsday scenario that threatens to trigger a recession in Britain and markedly slow the EU's economic growth.
It is the default option if the British Parliament votes against the deal and there are no other solutions before March 29.
A sudden shift to different standards would impact almost every economic sector - and possibly see the costs of everyday products in Britain rise as well as create disruption at logistical hubs such as ports.
SECOND REFERENDUM
EU supporters have been calling for another vote ever since the Leave campaign won by 52 to 48 per cent in the 2016 referendum, and demands have stepped up in recent months.
There is no law keeping Britain from doing it again, but many question whether this would be democratic. It also threatens to be just as divisive, with polls showing the country is still split over the issue.
Mrs May warned another vote "would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics".- AFP
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