LONDON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Britain's main opposition leader, Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, criticised Prime Minister Theresa May Monday for not appearing before the House of Commons to answer urgent questions about Brexit.
Instead of being at Westminster, May was in Liverpool, launching a massive funding boost for the British National Health Service.
Corbyn had earlier won the go-ahead to ask May to make a statement on progress made in recent weeks in achieving legal changes to her EU withdrawal agreement.
Instead, the Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay stood in for May to respond to questions from Corbyn and other MPs. He insisted the March 29 deadline for Britain's departure from the European Union (EU) would stand, and the government would not agree to ruling out a no-deal Brexit.
Many MPs are still angry after May cancelled a vote on her deal last month.
Barclay said the vote will take place next week instead. He also said the government will set out what assurances have been received on Wednesday when MPs resume their debate on the EU withdrawal bill.
Corbyn said with less than three months before Britain leaves the EU, there should be no more hiding or running away, saying May herself should have been in the parliament.
"It should be May who tells MPs what is going on," he said, accusing the PM of promoting "project fear" rather than coming to parliament to do her duty.
He described the Brexit agreement brokered between May and EU leaders as a "frankenstein monster of a deal", accusing the government of being prepared to push the whole British economy off a cliff edge in the event of a no deal.
Barclay, on the other hand, said the government would not seek to extend the two-year Article 50 departure period, due to expire on March 29 when Britain leaves.
He also ruled out a call made in a letter signed by more than 200 MPs demanding that the government should specifically rule out a no-deal Brexit.
The Labour MP Hilary Benn, who is chair of the House of Commons Brexit select committee, said the EU has shown no signs of being willing to offer assurances that May wanted.
Benn called on May to rule out a no-deal Brexit, saying it would be a disaster for Barclay said the problem with ruling out no deal was that the House of Commons has to be for something rather than ruling something out.
"It is not enough to MPs to be against something. They have to decide what they want. MPs cannot just oppose a no-deal Brexit without agreeing an alternative," he said.
