UK prime minister set to put her EU divorce deal to the test

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, speaks during a media conference after a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Monday, March 11, 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May is making a last-ditch attempt to get concessions from EU counterparts on elements of the agreement they all reached late last year. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing continued opposition to her European Union divorce deal despite “legally binding” changes that she hopes will win parliamentary support for the agreement.

The House of Commons will vote later Tuesday after last-minute talks with the EU produced assurances that May said means the deal couldn’t be used to tie Britain to the bloc indefinitely.

Both Keir Starmer, the opposition Labour Party’s Brexit spokesman, and Conservative lawmaker Dominic Grieve expressed skepticism about whether May had won substantive concessions.

May flew to Strasbourg, France, late Monday for talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. At a news conference, they announced changes designed to overcome lawmakers’ concerns about provisions designed to ensure the border between EU member Ireland and Britain’s Northern Ireland remains open after Brexit.

The Associated Press