No third chance on May's Brexit deal: Juncker

European Commission President expressed hope that British lawmakers would vote for the Brexit withdrawal deal in Parliament on Tuesday. He said not third chance will be given to May for Brexit vote.

Strasbourg: European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday that he told visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May that "this was a second chance, but there won't be a third one".

Speaking to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, Juncker said he hoped British lawmkers would vote for the Brexit withdrawal deal in Parliament on Tuesday.

May faced continued opposition to her European Union divorce deal Tuesday despite announcing what she described as "legally binding" changes in hopes of winning parliamentary support for the agreement.

The House of Commons will vote later in the day after last-minute talks with the EU produced assurances the deal couldn't be used to tie Britain to the bloc indefinitely.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox raised this concern when the agreement was presented to Parliament in December, and many lawmakers are now waiting for his legal opinion on the new provisions.

May flew to Strasbourg, France, late Monday for talks with Juncker.

At a news conference following the meeting, they announced changes designed to overcome lawmakers' concerns about provisions designed to ensure the border between EU member Ireland and Britain's Northern Ireland remains open after Brexit.

The so-called backstop is an insurance mechanism that would be implemented only if Britain and the EU can't agree on the terms of their future relationship in the second phase of negotiations.

May said documents to be added to the deal provided "legally binding" assurances that the backstop would be temporary and that Britain would have a way to get out of it if the EU failed to negotiate in good faith. The two sides also agreed to continue working on technology that would do away with the need for border checks.

However, the text of the 585-page withdrawal agreement remains unchanged.

The House of Commons overwhelmingly rejected the original agreement in January. May has been seeking changes from the EU that might persuade enough lawmakers to back the deal.