LONDON (AP) — Britain's Brexit logjam has become a pileup. Lawmakers have voted, and the results are a mess. They don't want Prime Minister Theresa May's EU divorce deal, don't want to leave without a deal, and don't want any of the other options on offer.

The country faces a deadline of April 12 to present the European Union with a new plan or crash out of the bloc.

A look at the most likely options:

After almost two years of negotiations, Britain and the EU struck a divorce deal in November, laying out the terms of Britain's departure from the bloc and giving a rough outline of future relations.

It needs to be ratified by the British and European Parliaments — and U.K. lawmakers have rejected it twice by huge margins, first in January and then in March.

The deal is a compromise that has pleased almost no one. Pro-Brexit lawmakers think it keeps Britain too closely tied to EU rules. Pro-EU legislators argue it is worse than the U.K.'s current status as an EU member.

May still wants to try again, and has called a new Brexit debate in Parliament for Friday, though it has not confirmed whether it will include another vote on the deal.

In a dramatic bid to win over opponents, May promised to quit if her deal passes and Britain leaves the EU. That has led some pro-Brexit lawmakers to say they will support the agreement, but the key Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland remains opposed.

With May's deal stuck, Parliament took control of the Brexit process Wednesday to hold a series of "indicative votes" on possible alternatives, from quitting the EU without a deal to canceling the decision to leave.

The exercise did not provide clarity — all eight options on offer were defeated. But it did hint at a potential compromise. The measure that came closest to a majority, defeated by 272 votes to 264, called for Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after it leaves.

May has always ruled that out, because sticking to EU trade rules would limit Britain's ability to forge new trade deals around the world.

But it would ensure U.K. businesses can continue to trade with the EU, and would solve many of the problems that bedevil May's deal. In particular it would remove the need for customs posts and border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland

There's a good chance a withdrawal agreement that included a customs union pledge would be approved by Parliament, and welcomed by the EU.

The other option with significant support called for any deal to be put to public vote in a "confirmatory referendum." The idea was backed by 268 lawmakers and opposed by 295, and has significant support from opposition parties, plus some members of the Conservatives.

The government has ruled out holding another referendum on Britain's EU membership, but could change its mind if there appeared no other way to pass its Brexit deal.

Parliament has voted repeatedly to rule out a no-deal Brexit — but it remains the default position unless a deal is approved, Brexit is canceled or the EU grants Britain another extension.

While a minority of lawmakers would welcome what they call a "clean Brexit," most politicians, economists and business groups think it would be disastrous.

The alternative to 'no-deal' is to delay Brexit for at least several months while Britain sorts out the mess. The EU is frustrated with the impasse, and says it will only grant another postponement if Britain makes up its mind on a new course before April 12.

The bloc is reluctant to have a departing Britain participate in May 23-26 European parliament elections, as it would have to do if Brexit is delayed. But EU Council President Donald Tusk has urged the bloc to give Britain the extension if it plans to change course.

A long delay also raises the chances of an early British election, which could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock.</s>LONDON (AP) — Britain's Brexit logjam has become a pileup. Lawmakers have voted, and the results are a mess. They don't want Prime Minister Theresa May's EU divorce deal, don't want to leave without a deal, and don't want any of the other options on offer.

The country faces a deadline of April 12 to present the European Union with a new plan or crash out of the bloc.

A look at the most likely options:

After almost two years of negotiations, Britain and the EU struck a divorce deal in November, laying out the terms of Britain's departure from the bloc and giving a rough outline of future relations.

It needs to be ratified by the British and European Parliaments — and U.K. lawmakers have rejected it twice by huge margins, first in January and then in March.

The deal is a compromise that has pleased almost no one. Pro-Brexit lawmakers think it keeps Britain too closely tied to EU rules. Pro-EU legislators argue it is worse than the U.K.'s current status as an EU member.

May still wants to try again, and has called a new Brexit debate in Parliament for Friday, though it has not confirmed whether it will include another vote on the deal.

In a dramatic bid to win over opponents, May promised to quit if her deal passes and Britain leaves the EU. That has led some pro-Brexit lawmakers to say they will support the agreement, but the key Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland remains opposed.

With May's deal stuck, Parliament took control of the Brexit process Wednesday to hold a series of "indicative votes" on possible alternatives, from quitting the EU without a deal to canceling the decision to leave.

The exercise did not provide clarity — all eight options on offer were defeated. But it did hint at a potential compromise. The measure that came closest to a majority, defeated by 272 votes to 264, called for Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after it leaves.

May has always ruled that out, because sticking to EU trade rules would limit Britain's ability to forge new trade deals around the world.

But it would ensure U.K. businesses can continue to trade with the EU, and would solve many of the problems that bedevil May's deal. In particular it would remove the need for customs posts and border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland

There's a good chance a withdrawal agreement that included a customs union pledge would be approved by Parliament, and welcomed by the EU.

The other option with significant support called for any deal to be put to public vote in a "confirmatory referendum." The idea was backed by 268 lawmakers and opposed by 295, and has significant support from opposition parties, plus some members of the Conservatives.

The government has ruled out holding another referendum on Britain's EU membership, but could change its mind if there appeared no other way to pass its Brexit deal.

Parliament has voted repeatedly to rule out a no-deal Brexit — but it remains the default position unless a deal is approved, Brexit is canceled or the EU grants Britain another extension.

While a minority of lawmakers would welcome what they call a "clean Brexit," most politicians, economists and business groups think it would be disastrous.

The alternative to 'no-deal' is to delay Brexit for at least several months while Britain sorts out the mess. The EU is frustrated with the impasse, and says it will only grant another postponement if Britain makes up its mind on a new course before April 12.

The bloc is reluctant to have a departing Britain participate in May 23-26 European parliament elections, as it would have to do if Brexit is delayed. But EU Council President Donald Tusk has urged the bloc to give Britain the extension if it plans to change course.

A long delay also raises the chances of an early British election, which could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock.</s>(Bloomberg) — The U.K. Parliament seized control of the Brexit process from Prime Minister Theresa May and will now seek to decide how Britain exits the European Union.

In a vote late Monday, the House of Commons split 329 to 302 to schedule votes on a series of alternative strategies, potentially including a second referendum, keeping the U.K. in the bloc’s customs union, leaving without a deal and even canceling Brexit altogether.

The pound rose immediately after the result, before paring gains. Early Tuesday, it was trading down 0.1 percent.

Three ministers resigned to back the plan, which sets up the possibility that MPs could force the beleaguered premier to abandon her deal with Brussels and implement their choice. One of them, Steve Brine, said Tuesday the pro-Brexit faction in his Conservative Party should see the result as an indication Parliament will push to keep closer ties to the European Union.

“Maybe what last night will do is focus some minds for those on my side who don’t like the deal,” Brine told BBC Radio. “Maybe they will realize that the House of Commons is prepared to act and anything from here gets softer in terms of Brexit.”

In a sign of how far May has lost the trust of MPs, even on her own side, the defeat came despite last-minute promises from her government that it would implement the plan itself if lawmakers voted against it.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC it’s now “very clear” that politicians who want to deliver on the Brexit referendum result must back the prime minister’s deal.

“Even for colleagues of mine who want to go down the no-deal route, it’s clear the House of Commons is not going to let that happen,” Hancock said, a warning to the pro-Brexit wing of the Tory party.

Meanwhile, the clock is continuing to tick down. The EU has ruled that if Parliament doesn’t approve May’s deal by Friday, the U.K. has until April 12 to come up with a case for a much longer delay to Brexit, or leave the bloc immediately with no agreement.

While Parliament was forcing its way into the driving seat, those who were supposed to be controlling the process remained passive. After reports at the weekend that May’s Cabinet would tell her it was time for her to go, the subject of her departure wasn’t even raised in its meeting on Monday, according to people present.

Neither was there a decision about whether to try to put the prime minister’s deal to Parliament again. According to one person at the meeting, the main agreement was that the alternatives to getting her plan through were grim.

In the House of Commons, May set out the choices as she saw them. “Unless this House agrees to it, no-deal will not happen,” she said. “No Brexit must not happen; and a slow Brexit that extends Article 50 beyond May 22, forces the British people to take part in European elections, and gives up control of any of our borders, laws, money or trade, is not a Brexit that will bring the British people together.”

Later, in answer to questions, she raised two more options: “Either a second referendum or an election.” Both are unattractive to many MPs.

There were signs that her warnings were working with some supporters of a harder Brexit. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the hardline European Research Group of Tory MPs, said he would be prepared to back her deal if Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party gave its blessing.

But his comments, made to a meeting of the group in Westminster on Monday evening according to a person in the room, depend on a big shift by the DUP. The party’s Brexit spokesman, Sammy Wilson, was scathing to the prime minister in the Commons, accusing her of using Northern Ireland as an “excuse” and the focus of “scare tactics” to get her deal through.

Having voted to take control, Parliament now has to decide what to do with it. The first stage is the “indicative votes,” scheduled for Wednesday. Although the exact format hasn’t been agreed, it is likely to mean lawmakers voting on a series of Brexit options on a piece of paper.

The idea is that by allowing MPs to vote simultaneously for as many options as they like, some of the game-playing that has characterized Brexit votes so far will be avoided.

“It’s essential we should be able to look at all the serious options, not wild unicorns, but things we could actually do to carry this process forward,” former Tory minister Oliver Letwin, who proposed the plan, told Parliament on Monday. “We should allow ourselves a couple of days to do what should have been done over a couple of years.”

Options on the table are likely to include various closer relationships with the EU than May plans, and perhaps holding a second Brexit referendum.

It’s possible that none of these will get the support of a majority, or that several will. May said she reserves the right not to abide by the result, though her spokesman said this reflected the possibility that Parliament might vote for something unattainable.

“The government’s approach has been an abject failure and this House must now find a solution,” opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said. “Where this government has failed, this House must, and I believe will, succeed.”</s>LONDON (Reuters) - The fact that none of the alternative Brexit options voted on by British lawmakers on Wednesday won the support of a majority shows that Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal is the best option, Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said.

Lawmakers grabbed control of the Brexit process on Wednesday to try to break the impasse over May’s Brexit deal, which has been rejected twice by parliament.

“The results of the process this House (of Commons) has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal the government has negotiated is the best option,” Barclay told parliament.</s>Software engineers, entrepreneurs and product managers huddle in small groups, brainstorming ideas and scrawling thoughts onto Post-it Notes on a wall. The project leader exhorts them to "think of products around these themes."

It's not a startup but a grassroots band of volunteers from London's tech industry developing websites to prevent Brexit, Britain's departure from the European Union that has fallen into complete disarray. They hope to put public pressure on politicians to give people a second vote. While the group is small, their engagement in politics underscores the concerns among businesses and entrepreneurs who stand to suffer from tariffs and border checks.

"I've never been a political person before, really," said German-born venture capitalist Andreas Cser. A longtime London resident, he joined the group, Tech For U.K., after he found Brexit made Britain less welcoming for foreigners and exposed the "incompetence and brazen political hypocrisy" of its political leaders.

Cser, whose firm, Automat Ventures, invests in companies that use artificial intelligence, helped connect Tech For U.K. to computer scientists. "What I know about is how companies develop tech products," and how they scale them up, he said.

Since its launch last year, Tech For U.K. has rolled out a dozen mobile-friendly websites. They help users automatically send anti-Brexit messages by postcard or voicemail to their politicians or spotlight the EU's benefits to Britain. Volunteers donate their time and the group also gets limited funding from anti-Brexit campaign group Best For Britain, which vets the digital tools before they go live. The latest, launched on the weekend, lets Facebook and Instagram users add an augmented reality "Stop Brexit" button to photos and videos.

Britain was due to depart the EU on Friday but the process has been delayed after Parliament rejected the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. The House of Commons took control late Monday of the stalled process and plans to vote this week on alternatives to May's deal.

One of the group's goals is to rally support for a second referendum on Brexit. There's no majority for that in Parliament, but a big march in London on Saturday to demand one suggests momentum is growing. A retired academic's online petition went viral last week, receiving over 5.6 million signatures in favor of revoking Brexit altogether.

With many outcomes to Brexit still open, Tech for U.K.'s aim is to persuade those on the fence about the benefits of EU membership and give people who are opposed to leaving a way to express their views.

"At the end of the day, it's for those who might change their mind," said Kiyana Katebi, founder of an IT consultancy.

Katebi helped develop the group's first site, MyEU.uk , which shows people EU-funded projects in their neighborhood based on their post code. The site had around 100,000 visitors in the first two days after its September launch.

Another site, Finalsay.app, let British residents leave a voice message for their parliamentary representative with their "final say" against Brexit. Hey MP! lets people automatically send postcards to their lawmaker asking for another vote.

It Costs EU reveals the portion of income tax going to the bloc while EU Worth It shows the amount of EU funding British districts receive, to counter claims Brits pay too much to the EU.

Can I Move To Barcelona simply explains how Brits can still move to the Spanish city, or dozens of other EU destinations, under the bloc's freedom of movement rules — a benefit that likely ends across the British border if Brexit happens.

The group, while small, says they've have had an impact on sentiment but didn't provide any numbers on site traffic or messages sent.

"The point is to ask people the question: Do they really want this?" and then show them how Brexit will affect them, said Mike Butcher, Tech For U.K.'s co-founder.

About 200-300 people have joined the group, Butcher said. They work on the projects on evenings and weekends and collaborate remotely.

The group is using technology to counter what they see as misinformation surrounding Britain's EU membership that may have contributed to the 2016 referendum vote result to leave.

Since the referendum, Brexit opponents have raised concerns about the influence of Russian meddling and the role of social-media advertising using data harvested from Facebook.

"One of the reasons that we lost in 2016 was that (the pro-Brexit camp's) digital game was far superior to the people fighting to stay in. We're playing catch-up," said Eloise Todd, CEO of Best For Britain.

On the other side of the argument, pro-Brexit groups flourish online, with names such as Get Britain Out, Stand Up 4 Brexit and Leavers of Britain using social media to promote their views.

More than 1,100 U.K.-based tech executives signed Tech For U.K.'s open letter last year to May, warning that Brexit risks making it harder to hire tech talent and crimping funding from Europe. But for many volunteers, Brexit's impact on the country transcends those concerns.

At one of the group's recent weekly evening meetups, in a tech company's basement meeting room in Central London, the crowd of about 20 split into three groups.

They ran through ideas and themes. Would Brexit make it harder for European musicians to play at Britain's Glastonbury music festival? Could they build a site to get people in Ireland to write letters to relatives in Britain? Would microbreweries still be able to get imported hops?

"We just need to think about various members of the public, what might tick their buttons," startup founder James Tabor told his group. "This is about getting into the minds of the general public."</s>What Next? UK lawmakers to vote on myriad Brexit options

LONDON (AP) — With the date and terms of Britain's departure from the European Union mired in uncertainty, Parliament has seized control of the political process so lawmakers can try to hammer out a way forward. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May still hopes to win approval for her twice-rejected divorce deal with the bloc before an EU-imposed Friday deadline.

Here's a look at what might happen next:

With Brexit deadlocked amid feuding between Britain's political factions, lawmakers voted to upend the usual parliamentary procedure, in which the government decides the schedule for debates and votes. The House of Commons carved out time for legislators to hold a series of "indicative votes" Wednesday on alternatives to May's defeated deal.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have submitted 16 different options for consideration, though Speaker John Bercow is expected to whittle the number down to about half a dozen before debate begins. The proposals include leaving the EU without a deal, remaining in the bloc's single market and customs union, and holding a new referendum on Britain's EU membership.

The results are likely to be inconclusive, but could help indicate what, if anything, can command majority support in Parliament. Lawmakers behind the move plan to hold another day of votes next week to narrow down the proposals to one idea — then to send the government back to negotiate it with the EU.

The government says Parliament's move sets "a dangerous, unpredictable precedent," but has promised to "engage constructively" with the result of the votes. But ministers say any plan agreed by Parliament must be "realistic" and negotiable with the EU.

May hasn't given up hope that the deal she agreed with the bloc setting out the terms of Britain's withdrawal will be passed by Parliament, even though it has been rejected twice by hefty margins.

Under an extension granted by the EU last week, if U.K. lawmakers approve the divorce deal by Friday — Britain's original departure date — Britain will leave the EU on May 22. If they don't, Britain has until April 12 to tell the EU what it plans to do next: leave without a deal, risking economic chaos, or seek a long delay to Brexit and chart a course toward a softer exit or even remaining in the bloc.

May is still holding talks with lawmakers and could try to hold a third vote on the deal on Thursday or Friday.

She hopes to persuade pro-Brexit legislators who have previously opposed the deal that if they don't support it, Parliament will either impose a softer Brexit or delay Britain's departure from the bloc indefinitely.

There is some sign the argument is working. Leading pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg said Wednesday that while he thought May's deal was a bad one, "legally leaving is better than not leaving at all."

THE END OF MAY?

British politicians are divided over Brexit, but they agree that the process is a mess — and many blame May, who has refused to consider alternatives to her deal and failed to win changes to the agreement from the EU.

Her authority has been shredded by a series of parliamentary defeats, and many Conservatives are now calling for May to step down. Some pro-Brexit Tories say they would support May's deal if she promised to hand over the next stage of negotiations — when Britain and the EU will hammer out their future relations — to a new leader.

For now, May is standing firm. Under Conservative rules, she can't face a formal leadership challenge from within her own party until December because she survived one three months ago. But she is due to meet Conservative lawmakers later, and could try to win support for her deal by promising to step down at some point this year.

Opposition politicians think the only way forward is an early election that could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock. May has ruled that out, but could come to see it as her only option.

And anti-Brexit campaigners haven't abandoned the idea of a new Brexit referendum on remaining in the EU. There's currently no majority for that in Parliament, but pro-referendum campaigners feel opinion is shifting in their favor. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to demand a new Brexit vote.

The "nuclear option" of simply canceling Brexit is also gaining support. An online petition urging the government to revoke the decision to leave the EU has amassed almost 6 million signatures.</s>From a clean break to staying in the EU, British MPs are being polled on a variety of Brexit plans on Wednesday in a bid to break the paralysis in parliament.

A total of sixteen proposals were submitted, out of which House of Commons Speaker John Bercow selected eight to be voted on with green paper ballots.

Some build on Prime Minister Theresa May’s twice-rejected divorce deal while others offer stark alternatives — including leaving without a deal and stopping Brexit altogether.

Several proposals advocate Britain remaining in the EU customs union after adopting May’s withdrawal plan and its mandated implementation period to the end of 2020.

Committing fully to the customs union would ensure the Irish border remains relatively free-flowing after Brexit — one of the main points of contention.

This option is favoured by the main opposition Labour Party — alongside close alignment to the EU single market — as well as by cross-party groups of MPs.

But opponents argue it would hinder Britain’s ability to strike trade deals with countries around the world, and the Conservative Party manifesto vowed Britain would leave the customs union.

Although outside the EU, Norway is in the European Economic Area (EEA) — alongside Iceland and Liechtenstein — meaning it benefits from membership of the single market.

EEA countries must also allow the free movement of goods, capital, services and people — the EU’s four freedoms — with member states.

They are not in the customs union but belong to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which Britain co-founded in 1960 and governs bilateral trade deals with the EU and other countries.

EEA membership would ensure Britain’s large services sector — including the financial hub in the capital — is undisturbed by Brexit.

But critics say it would leave the country hostage to EU rules without a say in them, and fall foul of the promises to limit immigration.

Conservative George Eustice — a former minister in May’s government who quit over Brexit — tabled an amendment for Britain to become a member of both, with “new protocols” governing the Irish border.

Some lawmakers pushing the Norway model have proposed London adds comprehensive customs arrangements with the EU to ensure the Irish border remains frictionless.

Dubbed “Common Market 2.0”, it has been proposed by a cross-party grouping and is thought to have one of the best chances of securing a majority.

Many Remain-backing MPs see a second referendum as the most viable path towards preventing Brexit, while others believe it could simply break the stalemate.

The path to such a vote remains highly contentious.

A compromise amendment put forward by some Labour MPs calls for “a confirmatory public vote” on any deal reached with the EU.

That could garner more support than a vote earlier this month which saw a majority of MPs reject postponing Brexit to hold another referendum.

If no alternative course can be agreed, Britain will default to “third country” status with the EU as early as April 12, with trade relations run on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

This involves tariffs and increased barriers that could disrupt the seamless supply chains that connect Britain and the EU.

Lawmakers have already overwhelmingly rejected this option, but will get the chance to vote on it again.

They will also consider a “managed” version put forward by arch-Brexiteer Marcus Fysh with more temporary arrangements and agreements put in place.

The most dramatic option MPs will vote on Wednesday would cancel Brexit if a no-deal departure was just days away by revoking Article 50 — the mechanism that set a two-year clock ticking down to Britain’s now-delayed exit.

An online petition to this effect has garnered nearly six million signatures in recent days.</s>The proposal for indicative votes was spearheaded by former Conservative minister Sir Oliver Letwin as an attempt to break the Brexit impasse. On Monday night, a 29-strong rebellion by Tory MPs saw the government defeated and Sir Oliver's proposal backed. This means on Wednesday, the votes will take precedence over Government business, which will be sidelined - an extraordinary move in the shift of control.

The purpose of these votes is to see what - if anything - commands a majority in the House of Commons. After MPs rejected Theresa May’s Brexit deal twice, then voted against no deal, and then voted for an extension to Brexit, these votes are meant to clarify what the house would support. However, it’s worth noting the outcome of these votes doesn't hold any legal weight. READ MORE: What is the Brexit backstop? A really simple explanation

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday the Government would listen to MPs but "can't pre-commit to following whatever they vote for". How will it work? MPs will have until the end of the day on Tuesday to table different Brexit options for the Commons to vote on in indicative votes. These will likely include a permanent UK-EU customs union; a Norway-style relationship with the EU; a no-deal Brexit; a "confirmatory" referendum on any Brexit deal; or even the revocation of the Article 50 notification and the cancellation of the UK's exit from the UK.

On Wednesday around 3pm, speaker John Bercow will announce which of the options he has chosen for debate and to be voted on. These will then be debated until 7pm, at which point MPs will be given half-an-hour to vote on the various options. They'll each be handed a piece of paper and asked to write "aye" or "noe" next to each option. MPs can vote for more than one option - they can support as many plans as they want, even if they’d technically cancel one another out.</s>LONDON — Britain’s Brexit logjam has become a pileup. Lawmakers have voted, and the results are a mess. They don’t want Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU divorce deal, don’t want to leave without a deal, and don’t want any of the other options on offer.

The country faces a deadline of April 12 to present the European Union with a new plan or crash out of the bloc.

A look at the most likely options:

After almost two years of negotiations, Britain and the EU struck a divorce deal in November, laying out the terms of Britain’s departure from the bloc and giving a rough outline of future relations.

It needs to be ratified by the British and European Parliaments — and U.K. lawmakers have rejected it twice by huge margins, first in January and then in March.

The deal is a compromise that has pleased almost no one. Pro-Brexit lawmakers think it keeps Britain too closely tied to EU rules. Pro-EU legislators argue it is worse than the U.K.’s current status as an EU member.

May still wants to try again, and has called a new Brexit debate in Parliament for Friday, though it has not confirmed whether it will include another vote on the deal.

In a dramatic bid to win over opponents, May promised to quit if her deal passes and Britain leaves the EU. That has led some pro-Brexit lawmakers to say they will support the agreement, but the key Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland remains opposed.

With May’s deal stuck, Parliament took control of the Brexit process Wednesday to hold a series of “indicative votes” on possible alternatives, from quitting the EU without a deal to cancelling the decision to leave.

The exercise did not provide clarity — all eight options on offer were defeated. But it did hint at a potential compromise. The measure that came closest to a majority, defeated by 272 votes to 264, called for Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after it leaves.

May has always ruled that out, because sticking to EU trade rules would limit Britain’s ability to forge new trade deals around the world.

But it would ensure U.K. businesses can continue to trade with the EU, and would solve many of the problems that bedevil May’s deal. In particular it would remove the need for customs posts and border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland

There’s a good chance a withdrawal agreement that included a customs union pledge would be approved by Parliament, and welcomed by the EU.

The other option with significant support called for any deal to be put to public vote in a “confirmatory referendum.” The idea was backed by 268 lawmakers and opposed by 295, and has significant support from opposition parties, plus some members of the Conservatives.

The government has ruled out holding another referendum on Britain’s EU membership, but could change its mind if there appeared no other way to pass its Brexit deal.

Parliament has voted repeatedly to rule out a no-deal Brexit — but it remains the default position unless a deal is approved, Brexit is cancelled or the EU grants Britain another extension.

While a minority of lawmakers would welcome what they call a “clean Brexit,” most politicians, economists and business groups think it would be disastrous.

The alternative to ‘no-deal’ is to delay Brexit for at least several months while Britain sorts out the mess. The EU is frustrated with the impasse, and says it will only grant another postponement if Britain makes up its mind on a new course before April 12.

The bloc is reluctant to have a departing Britain participate in May 23-26 European parliament elections, as it would have to do if Brexit is delayed. But EU Council President Donald Tusk has urged the bloc to give Britain the extension if it plans to change course.

A long delay also raises the chances of an early British election, which could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock.</s>LONDON — With the date and terms of Britain’s departure from the European Union mired in uncertainty, Parliament has seized control of the political process so lawmakers can try to hammer out a way forward. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May still hopes to win approval for her twice-rejected divorce deal with the bloc before an EU-imposed Friday deadline.

Here’s a look at what might happen next:

With Brexit deadlocked amid feuding between Britain’s political factions, lawmakers voted to upend the usual parliamentary procedure, in which the government decides the schedule for debates and votes. The House of Commons carved out time for legislators to hold a series of “indicative votes” Wednesday on alternatives to May’s defeated deal.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have submitted 16 different options for consideration, though Speaker John Bercow is expected to whittle the number down to about half a dozen before debate begins. The proposals include leaving the EU without a deal, remaining in the bloc’s single market and customs union, and holding a new referendum on Britain’s EU membership.

The results are likely to be inconclusive, but could help indicate what, if anything, can command majority support in Parliament. Lawmakers behind the move plan to hold another day of votes next week to narrow down the proposals to one idea — then to send the government back to negotiate it with the EU.

The government says Parliament’s move sets “a dangerous, unpredictable precedent,” but has promised to “engage constructively” with the result of the votes. But ministers say any plan agreed by Parliament must be “realistic” and negotiable with the EU.

May hasn’t given up hope that the deal she agreed with the bloc setting out the terms of Britain’s withdrawal will be passed by Parliament, even though it has been rejected twice by hefty margins.

Under an extension granted by the EU last week, if U.K. lawmakers approve the divorce deal by Friday — Britain’s original departure date — Britain will leave the EU on May 22. If they don’t, Britain has until April 12 to tell the EU what it plans to do next: leave without a deal, risking economic chaos, or seek a long delay to Brexit and chart a course toward a softer exit or even remaining in the bloc.

May is still holding talks with lawmakers and could try to hold a third vote on the deal on Thursday or Friday.

She hopes to persuade pro-Brexit legislators who have previously opposed the deal that if they don’t support it, Parliament will either impose a softer Brexit or delay Britain’s departure from the bloc indefinitely.

There is some sign the argument is working. Leading pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg said Wednesday that while he thought May’s deal was a bad one, “legally leaving is better than not leaving at all.”

THE END OF MAY?

British politicians are divided over Brexit, but they agree that the process is a mess — and many blame May, who has refused to consider alternatives to her deal and failed to win changes to the agreement from the EU.

Her authority has been shredded by a series of parliamentary defeats, and many Conservatives are now calling for May to step down. Some pro-Brexit Tories say they would support May’s deal if she promised to hand over the next stage of negotiations — when Britain and the EU will hammer out their future relations — to a new leader.

For now, May is standing firm. Under Conservative rules, she can’t face a formal leadership challenge from within her own party until December because she survived one three months ago. But she is due to meet Conservative lawmakers later, and could try to win support for her deal by promising to step down at some point this year.

Opposition politicians think the only way forward is an early election that could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock. May has ruled that out, but could come to see it as her only option.

And anti-Brexit campaigners haven’t abandoned the idea of a new Brexit referendum on remaining in the EU. There’s currently no majority for that in Parliament, but pro-referendum campaigners feel opinion is shifting in their favor. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to demand a new Brexit vote.

The “nuclear option” of simply canceling Brexit is also gaining support. An online petition urging the government to revoke the decision to leave the EU has amassed almost 6 million signatures.

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The UK parliament holds "indicative votes" on eight options regarding Brexit in an attempt to find an approach which can command a majority. None of the options are passed at this stage; however, a further round of voting is planned for Monday.