European Union leaders rejected outright the prime minister's last-ditch attempt to renegotiate her embattled Brexit deal, all but killing any hope of a parliamentary breakthrough in London, where lawmakers remain bitterly divided over Britain's withdrawal from the bloc.
Speaking after the meetings in Brussels, European leaders appeared to express frustration with the inconsistency and vagueness of the UK's position, something May's critics on both the right and left have also complained of.
"Our UK friends need to say what they want, rather than asking what we want. We would like in a few weeks for our UK friends to set out their expectations because this debate is sometimes nebulous and imprecise and I would like clarifications," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday.
While he said May had been "fighting hard and bravely," he added "we have not seen results," and expressed doubt that any deal would get through the British Parliament in its current form.
An EU diplomat told CNN before the meeting that the other 27 EU nations were looking to May to "convince" them she can get the withdrawal agreement through the UK Parliament, something she appears to have failed to do.
"We've seen what happened (on Wednesday). Convince us that what you ask will make a difference. If she pulls that off then we can talk... in the end they are politicians and they will want to help her. We are ready to be convinced," the diplomat said.
The diplomat added that the "most likely scenario is stumbling into a no deal."
Hardline Brexiters have argued that the risk of a "no deal" exit -- which would be devastating for the UK economy and British infrastructure, but would also damage the EU -- would compel Brussels to compromise, but EU leaders don't appear ready to blink.
"In terms of a no deal, let's not forget ultimately, it is within the gift of the UK government and the UK parliament to take the threat of no deal off the table," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Thursday.
"It is possible if the UK wishes to, to revoke Article 50, or, if that's a step too far to seek an extension of Article 50," he added, referring to the piece of EU law by which the UK triggered Brexit.
Breaking the impasse?
While May has shown herself a competent political survivor and adept at playing for time, her failure to gain any kind of compromise or reassurance from Europe will leave her in even more of an impossible position than she already was.
Earlier this week, she canceled a vote on her deal as it looked almost certain to be defeated. Downing Street said that MPs will not be able to vote on the deal before the end of the year, though it assured they will be able to do so before January 21, 2019.
That's less than 70 days before Brexit is due to take place, hardly much time to negotiate a new deal should the current one be voted down, as appears likely. The delay has outraged some lawmakers, who view it as diminishing the supremacy of Parliament.
The backstop has emerged as the biggest sticking point of the deal, and the thing which might ultimately sink it. Designed to prevent the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, hardliners are furious Britain can only leave the arrangement with the approval of the EU.
"It seems that the Prime Minister has failed in her bid to deliver meaningful changes to her Brexit deal. We cannot go on like this. The Prime Minister should reinstate the vote on her deal next week and let Parliament take back control," Labour's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said Friday.
Labour and other opposition parties have pledged to call for a Parliamentary vote of no confidence should May's bill be defeated, sparking a general election, perhaps the only thing which could change the situation enough that any Brexit bill could be passed.
Following the defeated Conservative leadership challenge this week, the math may be in their favor. May's critics within her own party are stuck with her through the Brexit process -- the failure to win this week's confidence vote means they can't launch another challenge for 12 months -- though this did not stop some, including hard Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg, calling for her to resign voluntarily.
After Wednesday's vote on her leadership, May told reporters she was ready to "get on with the job of delivering Brexit." Less than 48 hours later, she's looking more stuck than ever.
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