With warning and European Union letter, Theresa May tries to pull lawmakers behind Brexit deal

LONDON: Prime Minister Theresa May makes a last ditch effort to convince rebel lawmakers to back her Brexit divorce deal on Monday, warning that United Kingdom's exit is now in peril before setting out new European Union assurances on the deal.

The future path of Brexit is uncertain as parliament is likely to vote down May's deal on Tuesday. Possible outcomes include a last-minute deal, a disorderly exit, a new referendum or remaining in the bloc.

"There are some in Westminster who would wish to delay or even stop Brexit and who will use every device available to them to do so," May will say in a speech to factory workers in the leave-supporting city of Stoke-on-Trent in central England, according to advance extracts.


She will add that, based on the evidence of the last week, that she believes it is more likely that members of parliament (MPs) will block Brexit than that Britain will leave the EU with no deal to cushion the economic shock and prepare a future relationship with the EU, her office said.

May will make a statement on to parliament at 1530 GMT before lawmakers continue their debate on her Brexit deal, Sky News reported on Monday.

RTE News reported that the EU will issue a letter Monday to the British government spelling out a series of reassurances on the Irish backstop, an insurance policy to prevent the return of border controls between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Irish republic.