U.K. parliament will block 'no deal' Brexit, opposition party says

Parliament will block Britain from leaving the European Union without an exit deal, the opposition Labour Party's finance policy chief said on Sunday.

Negotiations are deadlocked between Prime Minister Theresa May's government and the EU on securing a divorce settlement and agreement on future relations, raising the prospect that Britain could walk away from talks without a deal.

But Labour's John McDonnell, leader Jeremy Corbyn's most senior ally, said he believed there was enough support in parliament to block such an eventuality.

"I don't think it's a realistic option, it's not going to happen. I don't think there is a majority in parliament for no deal," McDonnell told the BBC.

• 'They have to pay': EU says Britain owes for Brexit divorce

Currently, parliament does not have the power to block any decision to walk away. The government has promised to give parliament a vote on whether to accept a negotiated final deal, but that does not provide a means to block 'no deal.'

However, McDonnell said he thought there was enough support in parliament — where May does not have an outright majority — to amend legislation to include such a right.

"They haven't got a majority to get through a no deal situation in parliament. (If) we amend the legislation for parliament to have a meaningful vote, that will force the government to negotiate and come to their senses," he said.

European Union leaders are set next week to launch preliminary talks without Britain on the outline of the future EU-U.K. relationship once Britain leaves the bloc in 2019.

In a draft summit statement, the leaders order EU ministers and EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier "to start internal preparatory discussions" on future ties.

This would allow the EU to move quickly on elements like trade relations if negotiators make "sufficient progress" by December on the terms of the EU-U.K. divorce agreement.

Negotiations are moving slowly. EU leaders insist progress must be made on Britain's divorce bill, the rights of citizens hit by Brexit and the future state of the Northern Ireland-Ireland border.

They refuse to talk about future relations, including trade, until that happens.