European capitals have been beckoning UK-based companies with sops to relocate while Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday insisted that talks were on with EU leaders on a deal that will win support of UK parliament.

Labour and ruling Conservative MPs questioned May’s claim that talks were on when top EU leaders had categorically ruled out any re-negotiation of the withdrawal agreement that was voted down in the House of Commons in January.

“By getting the changes we need to the backstop; by protecting and enhancing workers’ rights and environmental protections; and by enhancing the role of Parliament in the next phase of negotiations I believe we can reach a deal that this House can support”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reflected the frustration of businesses and others by saying that “our country is facing the biggest crisis in a generation, and yet this Prime Minister continues to run down the clock”.

“We were promised there would be a deal last October that didn’t happen. We were promised a meaningful vote in December that didn’t happen Now the Prime Minister comes before the House with more excuses and more delay”.

As some MPs continued to seek an extension of Article 50 that would delay Brexit beyond March 29, and others lobbied for another referendum, the Bank of England downgraded its forecast for 2019 growth to 1.2%, which would be the weakest expansion since 2009.