Theresa May Offers Vote on Second Brexit Referendum

(Bloomberg) -- Theresa May promised a “bold” new Brexit offer and has put forward a spectacular one: giving members of parliament the option to vote for a second referendum -- if they back her deal first.

She again said she doesn’t want another plebiscite, because Brexit is dividing the country. But she’s desperate and has run out of options to persuade Parliament to vote for her deal.

There was a massive row when the idea was floated in Cabinet earlier on Tuesday. That’s because she proposed allowing MPs to vote how they want to on a referendum — a so called free vote, according to people familiar with the situation.

Pro-Brexit ministers balked at that — but this is an argument for another day. May’s spokesman said on Tuesday that it’s yet to be decided whether the government will tell members of Parliament how to vote.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Emma Ross-Thomas at erossthomas@bloomberg.net;Heather Harris at hharris5@bloomberg.net

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