BRUSSELS, January 16. /TASS/. The political crisis in the United Kingdom is too deep, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Russian reporters on Wednesday.
"The political crisis is too deep in the United Kingdom as the British lawmakers have extremely divergent views on the future relations with the EU and on their country’s role in the world," Chizhov said commenting on the results of the Brexit vote at the House of Commons.
"It is not accidental that in recent months there has been a flow of resignations in the cabinet, of those members who were either dissatisfied with concessions to Brussels or of those who viewed Brexit as a big mistake," he added.
The European Union responded in a predictably reserved manner to the Brexit vote in the British parliament, Chizhov continued. "The first reaction to these events was predictably restrained on this side of the English Channel. Everyone expressed regret over this turn of events, but at the same time underlined that the text of the approved agreement would never be renegotiated. Moreover, the European Union appears poised to go ahead with its ratification," Chizov said.
According to the diplomat, "the outcome of the vote, unprecedented in the history of British parliamentarism, has made a strong impression." "I believe we were watching a rare and even unnatural phenomenon when stances of two and more camps opposing the governmental line — both from opposition parties and the ruling Tories — coincided," the Russian diplomat said.
Chizhov pointed out that in spite of criticism of the deal, another option had been never put forward."What is typical is that behind that wave of criticism of the deal signed not just by Theresa May, but also by the leaders of other 27 EU nations, no positive proposals could be heard on some alternative options," he stressed. "That allowed the British prime minister to claim that none of the debated options — Brexit’s termination through a second referendum, a no-deal Brexit, an early parliamentary election and so on — would win a majority at the Commons."
On Tuesday, the British House of Commons voted by 432 votes to 202 to turn down the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May had negotiated with the European Union. It is the biggest defeat ever for a sitting British government, as the deal was rejected by 230 votes. The deal needed to be approved by the British parliament to enter into force. The United Kingdom is scheduled to withdraw from the European Union on March 29, 2019, while a transition period is planned to last until the end of 2020.