January 16, 2019•Update: January 16, 2019
By Senhan Bolelli
MADRID
Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday voiced concern over a possible "no-deal Brexit" after U.K. politicians rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the EU by margin.
In a Twitter post, Sanchez said Tuesday's crushing vote in the U.K. Parliament is "saddening".
"The agreement is the best possible [option] and an unordered exit would be negative for the EU and catastrophic for the U.K.," he said. "Spain works on contingency measures and will prioritize the rights of citizens and residents."
Spain was expecting a negative result from the U.K. parliament, according to the country's Foreign Minister Joseph Borrell. But they were surprised by the huge gap between the votes, he noted.
"It is bad news, but we had to face it. Spain is ready for any possibility," Borrell added.
May’s long-negotiated Brexit deal was rejected by lawmakers in a 432-202 vote on Tuesday evening.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn submitted a motion of no-confidence in government, as the defeat was the greatest against a government since .
If the May government wins the vote Wednesday evening, the prime minister is expected to come back to the parliament on Monday to explain her Plan B.
