British Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that she was “disappointed” after she lost a key parliamentary vote on Brexit but insisted it had not derailed negotiations on the terms for leaving the European Union.
“I’m disappointed with the amendment but actually the EU Withdrawal bill is making good progress through the House of Commons and we’re on course to deliver on Brexit,” May said as she arrived for an EU summit.
Hours before the summit May’s own Conservative MPs rebelled on a vote on an amendment to the flagship bill that would give parliament the final say on a Brexit deal with Brussels.
May however pointed to the interim agreement on divorce terms sealed with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker last Friday, which paves the way for the opening of the second phase of talks on a future EU-UK relationship.
“I’m looking forward to discussing that deep and special partnership for the future,” May said.
“We’re on course to deliver Brexit, we’re on course to deliver on the vote of the British people.”
Britain voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016 and talks on its departure began a year later.