U.K. Parliament votes to re-open Brexit talks despite EU refusal

The latest: Parliament voted to support May's effort to find “alternative arrangements” with the EU on the controversial "Irish backstop."

• The backstop would prevent a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. Hard-line Brexiteers hate the backstop because it would keep the U.K. tied to EU trading rules for as long as it remains in place.
• European Commission President Donald Tusk immediately said "the withdrawal agreement is not open for re-negotiation." It's unclear whether May can even get the EU to the table, let alone get the kind of changes she needs for a parliamentary majority.

Between the lines: Boris Johnson brushed off Tusk's statement, saying "it takes two to tango." That, it must be said, appeared to be Tusk's point.

What's next: Parliament also voted to express its opposition to "no deal," but it rejected a plan to push the official exit date beyond March 29. The conventional wisdom has long been that both sides have every incentive to avoid "no deal," yet it's the default option absent a breakthrough.