Europe

UK's Labour Party To Back Second Referendum On Brexit

The party says it plans to put forward or support an amendment in favor of a second Brexit referendum.

UK's Labour Party To Back Second Referendum On Brexit
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The U.K.'s main opposition party says it's backing a second referendum on Brexit.

The Labour Party said in a statement Monday it plans to put forward or support an amendment in favor of a public vote "to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country."

The announcement came not long after the president of the European Council called on British Prime Minister Theresa May to postpone Brexit.

Donald Tusk told reporters it's becoming less and less likely that a Brexit deal will be ready to go by the March 29 deadline. 

He said, given the situation, he believes it would be a "rational solution" to extend negotiations on the agreement. 

With less than a month to go before the official Brexit date, the U.K. still can't agree on specific terms for its departure from the E.U. The problem is the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland, which is in the E.U. The two sides are trying to negotiate a "backstop" so that border can stay open until a more permanent trade relationship is put into place.

Earlier this month, May lost another attempt to unify Parliament behind her new Brexit negotiations with the E.U. Her critics argue she's forcing the country to choose between her approach and a chaotic no-deal Brexit.

But May insists she can make a deal happen by the deadline, and a delay isn't necessary.