Brexit minister calls upon Parliament to give ample time for modified Brexit deal

British lawmakers should support the government's continued plan to renegotiate its Brexit deal with Brussels and give it more time to finish this work, Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said on Thursday. Parliament will hold a symbolic vote later on Thursday on whether to reaffirm its backing for Prime Minister Theresa May's efforts to secure changes to the divorce deal in order to satisfy lawmakers' concerns over one part of it - the Irish backstop. "Tonight members need to give the government time to make good on this work," Barclay told lawmakers as he opened a debate in parliament ahead of the vote.

(With inputs from agencies.)