British Prime Minister Theresa May avoided a parliamentary setback on the EU withdrawal bill by agreeing to negotiations on a measure sought by pro-European Union members, the Financial Times reported.
The government quelled a move that would have given Parliament veto power over May's Brexit deal. Instead, the government agreed to "open discussions" on a proposal by Conservative MP Dominic Grieve that would set a November deadline for the government to hammer out an agreement on exiting the EU. Under the measure, if May fails to present an acceptable plan to Parliament by February 2019, MPs would take over the process, the FT said. The news outlet quoted a Downing Street official as cautioning that the government had not agreed to abide by any specific points of the Grieve amendment.
A report in The Guardian noted that as a result of the maneuvers, Grieve managed to erect a series of hurdles that will make leaving the bloc without an agreement exceedingly difficult.
The House of Lords had approved an amendment that would have given lawmakers the power to reject a deal, then issue instructions to the government on how to proceed. The House of Commons rejected the amendment by a vote of 324-298.
