BREXIT - British lawmakers defeat Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit Vote by 432-202 Tuesday Jan 15,2019

UK Parliament votes overwhelmingly to reject Theresa May's Brexit deal with EU Tuesday Jan 15,2019

British lawmakers defeated Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit divorce deal by a crushing margin on Tuesday Jan 15,2019, triggering political chaos that could lead to a disorderly exit from the EU or even to a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave

After parliament voted 432-202 against her deal, the worst defeat in modern British history, opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn promptly called a vote of no confidence in May's government, to be held at 1900 GMT on Wednesday Jan 16,2019

More than 100 of May's own Conservative lawmakers - both Brexit backers and supporters of EU membership - joined forces to vote down the deal. In doing so, they smashed the previous record defeat for a government, a 166-vote margin, set in 1924.

The humiliating loss, the first British parliamentary defeat of a treaty since 1864, appeared to catastrophically undermine May's two-year strategy of forging an amicable divorce with close ties to the EU after the March 29 exit.

With the clock ticking down to March 29,2019 the date set in law for Brexit, the United Kingdom is now ensnared in the deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project that it joined in 1973.

How does the Brexit vote measure up to previous Commons showdowns?  

166 - Labour goverment in 1924 

The largest government defeat in modern times occurred on October 8 1924, when the minority Labour government of Ramsay MacDonald lost a vote by 364 votes to 198.

The vote was on an amendment put forward by the Liberal Party to set up a select committee to investigate the Government's decision to drop criminal proceedings against JR Campbell, editor of the Communist newspaper Workers Weekly, which had recently published an article encouraging the armed forces to mutiny.

89 - Labour government in 1979 

On March 22 1979, in the last few weeks of the Labour government led by Jim Callaghan, MPs voted on a motion to annul the fees for a firearms certificate.

Although the numbers taking part were low, the Government lost by 115 to 26.

86 - Labour government in 1978

The largest post-war defeat where at least half of MPs took part. It happened on January 25 1978, when MPs voted by 204 to 118 on an opposition amendment to the Callaghan government's Scotland Devolution Bill.

The legislation had excluded Orkney and Shetland from the provisions of the Bill if they voted 'no' in a referendum.

Theresa May's response to her Brexit defeat in full 

Mr Speaker, the House has spoken and the Government will listen. It is clear that the House does not support this deal. Tonight’s vote tells us nothing about what it does support. Nothing about how or even if it intends to honour the decision the British people took in a referendum Parliament decided to hold.

People, particularly European Union citizens who made their home here and people from the UK living in the EU, deserve clarity on these questions as soon as possible.

Those whose jobs rely on trade with the EU need that clarity.

First, we need to confirm whether this Government still enjoys the confidence of the House. I believe it does but, given the scale and importance of tonight’s vote, it’s right others have the chance to test that question if they wish to do so.

I can therefore confirm that, if the Official Opposition table a confidence motion this evening in the form required for the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, the Government will give time to debate that motion tomorrow. [Jeremy Corbyn later did so, with a vote to be held today.]

Second, if the House confirms confidence in this Government I will then hold meetings with my colleagues, our confidence-and-supply partner the DUP and senior Parliamentarians from across the House to identify what would be required to secure the backing of the House. The Government will approach these meetings in a constructive spirit, but given the urgent need to make progress, we must focus on ideas that are genuinely negotiable and have sufficient support in this House.

If these meetings yield such ideas, the Government will then explore them with the European Union.

I want to end by offering two reassurances. First, to those who fear Government strategy is to run down the clock to 29 March: This is not our strategy. I have always believed the best way forward is to leave in an orderly way with a good deal and have devoted most of the last two years negotiating such a deal.

We respect the will of the House [on the Grieve amendment for a ‘Plan B’] and we will table an amendable motion on Monday.

My second reassurance is to British people who voted to leave the European Union in the referendum two-and-a-half years ago. I became PM immediately after the referendum and I believe it’s my duty to deliver on their instruction and I intend to do so.

Every day that passes without this issue being resolved means more uncertainty, more bitterness and more rancour.

The Government has heard what this House has said tonight but I ask members on all sides of the house to listen to the British people who want this issue settled. And to work with the Government to do just that.