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The main opposition Labour Party is now increasingly likely to support a proposal to extend the March 29 exit day deadline, if Prime Minister Theresa May fails to negotiate a divorce agreement, said John McDonnell, the party’s chief finance spokesman.
McDonnell described the proposal as a “sensible” way to avoid the upheaval of a disastrous no-deal Brexit.
“I actually do believe that we are facing, with a no-deal, potentially quite catastrophic consequences for people’s living standards -- that’s why we have said we’ve got to avoid it,” McDonnell told the BBC’s “Newsnight” TV program. “I think there’s a majority in Parliament for avoiding no deal.”
If Labour does support the proposal -- put forward by lawmakers including Yvette Cooper, a former minister -- it is far more likely to win enough backing to be passed. That would force May’s hand and ensure she cannot take Britain out of the EU without a deal in nine weeks’ time. [...]