The UK’s deadlocked Parliament failed to agree on a new blueprint for Brexit, rejecting all the options that were put forward to replace Theresa May’s unpopular deal.
The House of Commons voted on four different policies but none of them won a majority, pushing Britain’s messy divorce from the European Union deeper into crisis.
With just 11 days left until the UK is due to exit the bloc of 28 nations, the stalemate leaves the prime minister with a crucial decision over what to do next. Her own deal has been rejected three times in parliamentary votes but she is considering trying again.
May will convene a meeting of her Cabinet on Tuesday, likely to last five hours, to hash out a plan.
If she can’t get her withdrawal agreement through Parliament before a summit of EU leaders on 10 April, she will face a perilous set of options.
She could seek a long delay to Brexit, which would enrage many euro-sceptics and could provoke resignations; she could call for a general election or even a new referendum and let voters decide; or she could try to force the UK out of the EU with no deal, although Parliament would try to stop this.