Nigel Farage predicts new Brexit referendum would be won by even bigger 'LEAVE' vote

A new referendum on Brexit, reportedly desired by the UK elite, would result in even bigger support for leaving the EU, former UKIP leader and one of the party's founders, Nigel Farage, has said as Theresa May's plan flopped.

The government's astounding defeat in the House of Commons, which was the worst in history in terms of the losing margin, drew fire for the prime minister from all political flanks. One of the most prominent pro-Brexit campaigners, Farage, did not stay silent.

"A catastrophic failure of leadership by Theresa May. If she has any sense of honor then she will resign," he tweeted.

The politician has posted a video that was recorded before the vote, in which he correctly predicted May's deal flopping in parliament and warned his supporters of the apparent desire of the political elite to "start to push towards a second referendum" on the UK-EU divorce.

"It is quite possible that we could leave with no deal on WTO, and as far as I'm concerned, no deal - no problem. But it is more likely that many in our political class will try to weasel their way out of this," Farage warned.

Even if Westminster manages to push through a new Brexit referendum, a new vote would actually show even bigger support for the idea of leaving the EU, Farage argued.

"The British may be a very placid people, very laid back, but I promise you: if they get pushed too far it's a lion that will roar. We will be even more defiant if we have to fight a second referendum and we will win it by a bigger majority," the politician said on Wednesday.

May's Brexit deal, painstakingly agreed with the EU last year, was crushed in parliament on Tuesday by 432 to 202 votes. The overwhelming rejection to the plan prompted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to table a no-confidence motion, which is to be debated on Wednesday evening.

So the obvious reason why the last 2.5 years of British politics has been an utter farce, and why the British people find themselves in this current mess, is that while a majority of British citizens voted to leave the EU, a large majority of their MPs on both sides of the aisle (and the British 'establishment' itself) do not want to leave the EU and are determined to make sure it never happens. To claim otherwise would be to suggest that British politicians were as clueless about the nature of the UK's relationship with the EU as the British public. But that's not the full story.

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German minister says 'hard Brexit would hurt everyone in Europe' after historic defeat of May's deal

It is up to British legislators to avoid a "hard Brexit" because the EU will not substantially renegotiate its terms, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said. An exit with no deal would hurt both the EU and UK, he said.

Britain still has "a few days" before the scheduled departure date of March 29 to come up with a Brexit roadmap, the German minister told public broadcaster ZDF. The substance of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet with the EU is "non-negotiable," but some minor details may yet be changed, he suggested.

Altmaier said it was up to British legislators, who defeated May's proposal in a record 'nay' vote on Tuesday, to come up with an alternative. A "hard Brexit" would hurt both the EU and Britain, he warned. "Everyone in Europe would lose, nobody would win," the minister stated.

The defeat of the Brexit deal in the British Parliament was followed by a motion of no confidence in May's government from the opposition Labour Party. The vote on the motion is scheduled for Wednesday, and the outcome is far from certain. The prime minister already survived one vote of no confidence from her own party over the terms she managed to get from Brussels.

Risk of 'no deal' Brexit has never been so high - EU negotiator Barnier

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has told the European Parliament that the risk of no deal on Brexit has never been higher, and that he fears "more than ever" a chaotic UK departure from the bloc.

Barnier hinted that the EU is ready to renegotiate a new deal on Britain exiting the EU if London is willing to give way on some of the pre-existing 'red lines' hammered out in the previous, now defeated, Brexit plan put forth by embattled Prime Minister Theresa May.

The EU negotiator did, however, insist that preventing a physical border on the island of Ireland was non-negotiable.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is currently just about propping up May's minority government, does not view an Article 50 extension as necessary.

"I don't think [an extension of Article 50] is inevitable, and it's not in my view necessary because the EU can act when it wants to," DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said, as quoted by Reuters. "On the [Irish] backstop, people want to see that we are not trapped into it."

Conservative British MP and Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom stated that she believes Prime Minister Theresa May will survive Wednesday's no-confidence vote, reiterating that the government has been engaging with opposition party leadership on the Brexit issue.

Leadsom added that all parties must find a way to salvage May's original deal, in part at least, or find an alternative to put to the EU as quickly as possible.

"The prime minister will then not necessarily be looking for brand new ideas that no one has thought of before, but actually seeking a consensus, actually a fresh initiative to find a solution that is negotiable with the European Union and that would command a majority in the House of Commons," Leadsom said.

The Tory was steadfast in rejecting claims that the current British government would not delay Article 50, and that while a 'no-deal' Brexit is not ideal, it is, however, the legal default in a worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, Belgium's Guy Verhofstadt has called for all parties to "come out of the trenches" and agree a common policy position on Brexit, but said that Britain must offer more leeway on its "red line" issues in the negotiations.

Verhofstadt also stated that it would be unwise to extend Article 50 beyond the upcoming EU parliamentary elections.

His comments came just one day after the British Parliament decisively struck down May's draft Brexit deal on Tuesday by 432 votes to 202 - a record margin of 230.

No sooner had the votes been cast than opposition and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a no confidence motion against May's Tory government in the House of Commons. If defeated, May would have just 14 days in office, after which a second confidence vote would take place which could, in turn, trigger a general election.

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