Over the past few weeks, Brexit has escalated with a deal drafted by Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Brexit – a contraction of the words “Britain” and “exit” – is a term used to describe the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union.

May’s 585-page agreement between the EU and the UK lays out how much money the UK will owes the Union and the fate of UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU, among other issues. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab quit his job when the deal was first announced. He said, “We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than no deal. I cannot defend this, and I cannot vote for this deal. I could not look my constituents in the eye were I to do that.”

A vote to reject or accept May’s Brexit deal was scheduled on January 15, 2019. Parliament voted against the deal 432 to 202, marking one of the largest defeats of a government policy since 1924. Furthermore, a second referendum may occur, in order to determine whether or not the UK will remain in the EU or which deal the UK should accept with the EU. The UK government believes that it would take another year to organize a second referendum.