Former Brexit date arrives with no answer in sight

In the eyes of Brexit supporters, Friday, March 29, was supposed to be Independence Day. Even the United Kingdom's Royal Mint had unveiled the design for commemorative coins.

Instead, the country approached the day with its political leaders more divided over the issue than ever.

On Wednesday, eight different Brexit solutions were put to members of Parliament to vote on. These would not have been binding but would help narrow options and provide some clarity in an increasingly confused debate.

All eight were rejected, with embattled Prime Minister Theresa May's offer to step down if things moved closer to her preferred Brexit solution not proving enough to drum up support.

Of the eight solutions put up for the vote, one in favor of a second confirmatory referendum on any possible deal lost by just 27 votes, while one for a Customs Union fell just eight votes short.

The latest setback to May's plans, which have proved unacceptable to Brexit supporters and opponents and have twice been heavily rejected by Parliament, rounds off a grim week for the prime minister.

Last week, she made a televised address in which she blamed Parliament for the delay, saying the public was "tired of infighting and political games" and telling the electorate, "I'm on your side."

The public's response was for millions to sign a petition demanding the revocation of Article 50, the statutory instrument that set in motion Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, and for hundreds of thousands to take part in a huge protest march in London.

Seven days on from that ill-fated address, and with pressure mounting, May offered herself as a political sacrifice－and was again rejected.

Wednesday's events could have even more consequences for hardline Leavers, however, as two of the movement's most prominent leaders gambled unsuccessfully on dethroning May by voting for proposals that contradicted all they have stood for. Now, they must turn to face the fury of their Leave allies.

The highest-profile person to change his mind was Boris Johnson, one of the main proponents of the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum, who had previously said May's proposals had "wrapped a suicide vest" around the British constitution and "handed the detonator" to Brussels.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, another of May's most vocal critics, had previously said her deal would turn Britain into a "slave state", only to have a change of heart ahead of Wednesday's vote.

Afterward, he justified his switch, saying, "I don't like (May's) deal. I make no bones about this. I don't think the deal's suddenly got better, simply that the alternative is now worse.

"It's not having any Brexit at all, and it's letting down the 17.4 million people who voted to leave."

Johnson and Rees-Mogg have both been seen as contenders to replace May as prime minister and Conservative party leader should she step aside.

The prime minister has indicated she will bring her proposals back for a third parliamentary vote, despite having seen them heavily rejected twice already. While she might now feel she can count on previous opponents such as Johnson and Rees-Mogg, other hardcore Brexit supporters remain more defiant than ever.

Steve Baker, a former Brexit minister and vice-chairman of the backbench European Research Group that is led by Rees-Mogg, has indicated he might resign as Conservative party whip rather than vote for the deal, and prominent ERG member Mark Francois said he would not vote for May's deal "if they put a shotgun in my mouth".

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has called on MPs to back May's deal "in the national interest" when it comes up for voting again, saying the divisions highlighted by Wednesday's inconclusive results showed the need for compromise.

"The House has considered a wide variety of options as a way forward," he said. "And it demonstrates there are no easy options here. There is no simple way forward. The deal the government has negotiated is a compromise. ... That is the nature of complex negotiations."