UK Prime Minister Theresa May received a major setback when her government suffered a defeat in parliament on Tuesday when lawmakers who oppose leaving the European Union without a deal won a vote.
MPs voted by 303 to 296 in favour of an amendment to the finance bill tabled by Labour party's Yvette Cooper to curb some of the government’s tax administration powers in the event of no deal without explicit authorisation for parliament.
May's position is significantly weak as a leader of a minority government, a divided party and a critical parliament.
"This vote is an important step to prevent a no-deal Brexit. It shows that there is no majority in Parliament, the Cabinet or the country for crashing out of the EU without an agreement," opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party said.
But the government has downplayed the defeat stating that the amendment does not change the fact that "the UK is leaving the EU on 29 March" according to a spokesman.
"We will work with Parliament to make sure that the tax system works smoothly in all Brexit scenarios," he said.
Meanwhile, the crucial Brexit vote in set for January 15. Though there were talks of delay, the government has denied the speculation.
May postponed an initial vote last month in the face of opposition from all sides of the House of Commons, but has now set it for next Tuesday evening after 7:00pm GMT, following five days of debate, which starts on Wednesday.
May is still struggling to convince both opposition lawmakers and her own Conservative party to back the divorce agreement, heightening fears Britain could leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal.
She has promised to secure further assurances from the EU on the most controversial elements of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland, and has held talks with European leaders in recent days.
"The work to secure those assurances is ongoing," her spokesman said, adding that the prime minister hoped to have something to offer MPs before next week's vote.
May is hosting several drinks parties for lawmakers this week in a bid to win them round, arguing her deal is the best compromise that ends EU membership while protecting jobs.
