May is being criticized for failing to convince members of Parliament, including some former members of her own government, about the merits of the deal, particularly a “backstop” provision that, under some circumstances, could allow rules to be imposed on Northern Ireland that wouldn’t apply to the rest of the U.K. That disparate treatment was anathema to so-called Unionists in Northern Ireland who have supported May’s government and also to some members of her Conservative Party. (Ironically, as long as the U.K. remains in the EU, Northern Ireland is treated the same as England, Scotland and Wales.)
Source: latimes.com – Los Angeles Times