UPDATE 1-UK parliament backs amendment urging gov't to rule out no-deal Brexit

British lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favour of a proposal calling on the government to rule out leaving the European Union without a deal.

The 318 to 310 vote went against Prime Minister Theresa May, who says the only way to take a so-called 'no-deal' Brexit off the table is to vote in favour of an agreement with the EU. The so-called Spelman amendment "rejects the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement and a Framework for the Future Relationship".

The amendment sends a signal that parliament as a whole opposes leaving the EU without a negotiated agreement, which will happen by default on March 29 if no alternative is agreed, but it does not compel the government to prevent such a departure. (Reporting by William James, Kylie MacLellan and Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Kevin Liffey)