UK government backs giving parliament chance to reject Northern Irish backstop

The government said on Wednesday it would support a change to its Brexit plan that gives parliament the chance to vote against activating unpopular backstop arrangements designed to prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Britain’s parliament is debating whether to approve Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit agreement with the European Union a pivotal decision that would cast the departure process into chaos if the deal was rejected. Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said the government would support a proposed change to the wording of parliament’s approval which would give lawmakers a greater say later in the exit process.