UK PM May pledges to quit to save Brexit deal

May dramatically announced on Wednesday that she would quit if members of Parliament finally backed her Brexit agreement.
"I know there is a desire for a new approach -- and new leadership -- in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I won't stand in the way of that," she told a packed meeting of her Conservative MPs.

"But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit. I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," she added.

The embattled prime minister made the offer after running out of options and at risk of losing control of the process of leaving the EU.

The proposal came just hours before the House of Commons took part in an unprecedented series of votes intended to break the Brexit deadlock, which, in the end, only highlighted the divisions among MPs.

Not one of eight proposals put forward by MPs earned a majority, an outcome that Brexit minister Steve Barclay said "strengthens our view that the deal our government has negotiated is the best option".

Parliament has twice rejected May's Brexit deal, both times by large majorities, but she is still trying to convince them -- and on Wednesday made what is expected to be her final offer.

May agreed a deal with the EU last week to delay Brexit amid fears Britain was heading for a potentially catastrophic "no deal" exit on Friday.

If her deal is passed by MPs this week, Brexit will take place on May 22, otherwise she must return to Brussels before April 12 to explain to EU officials what happens next.

The British parliament is deeply divided over Brexit, reflecting splits in the country that voted 52 percent to 48 percent in 2016 to end its four-decade relationship with the EU.

MPs have so far only been able to agree that they dislike May's deal and that they do not want to leave with no deal at all.