British Prime Minister Theresa May's government remained defiant after Parliament took partial control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union, arguing on Tuesday that the manoeuvring simply underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal.

The House of Commons voted late on Monday to wrest the parliamentary timetable away from the government temporarily so that lawmakers can vote on alternatives to the withdrawal agreement May negotiated with the EU. But health secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that the government won't "pre-commit" to accepting the option backed by lawmakers because they may come up with a plan that is impractical. "If the Commons voted for the sun to rise in the west, the government would not be able to implement that," he said.