Call it "third time unlucky" on Britain's proposed divorce from the European Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May has lost another crucial Brexit vote in the U.K. Parliament as lawmakers again refused to back her deal to leave the European Union.
May's draft proposal to leave the bloc, which has been signed off by E.U. officials in Brussels, had already been rejected twice by U.K. Members of Parliament. This time her deal was beaten by a decisive 344 votes to 286, despite an offer to resign as prime minister once a deal with endorsed by U.K. lawmakers.
Friday's vote was considered slightly different as it only covered the "withdrawal deal" — a near 600-page treaty that agreed citizen's rights after Brexit, a £39 billion ($51 billion U.S.) divorce deal and how to treat the Irish land border.
A political declaration element that vaguely outlines their future trading relationship, was not put before parliamentarians. This change was seen as enabling the vote to circumvent parliamentary rules and potentially bringing more rebel lawmakers on board.
In reaction to the vote, sterling fell below 1.30 versus the U.S. dollar, after trading above $1.310 for much of the session. Addressing the House of Commons after her defeat, May said the government would continue to press the case for an "orderly Brexit." The leaders of the main opposition Labour party and Scottish National Party both responded by calling for May to now hold a general election.
As soon as the result was announced, the European Council President Donald Tusk said on Twitter that an emergency EU summit would now be held on April 10 — just two days before the U.K. is officially set to leave the European Union.
