May 'disappointed' by UK vote but 'on course to deliver Brexit'

BRUSSELS: British Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that she was "disappointed" after she lost a key parliamentary vote on Brexit but insisted it had not derailed negotiations on the terms for leaving the European Union.

"I`m disappointed with the amendment but actually the EU Withdrawal bill is making good progress through the House of Commons and we`re on course to deliver on Brexit," May said as she arrived for an EU summit.

Hours before the summit May`s own Conservative MPs rebelled on a vote on an amendment to the flagship bill that would give parliament the final say on a Brexit deal with Brussels.

May however pointed to the interim agreement on divorce terms sealed with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker last Friday, which paves the way for the opening of the second phase of talks on a future EU-UK relationship.

"I`m looking forward to discussing that deep and special partnership for the future," May said.

"We`re on course to deliver Brexit, we`re on course to deliver on the vote of the British people."

Britain voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016 and talks on its departure began a year later.