British MPs have voted to try to renegotiate the Brexit divorce agreement with the European Union to remove a contentious Irish border measure.
The House of Commons voted 317 to 301 on Tuesday to seek to replace the Irish border "backstop" that keeps the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland free of checkpoints.
British Prime Minister Theresa May had urged MPs to support the move and "tell Brussels that the current nature of the backstop is the key reason Parliament cannot support this deal".
Following the result, May said she now had a mandate to take back for further negotiations with the EU.
"Tonight a majority of members have said they would support a deal with changes to the backstop combined with measures to address concerns over Parliament's role in the negotiation of the future relationship and commitments on workers' rights in law where need be," she said.
"It's now clear there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in this House for leaving the EU with a deal.
"We will now take this mandate forward and seek to obtain legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that deal with concerns on the backstop while guaranteeing no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland."
However, the EU has ruled out reopening the Brexit deal it struck with May's government in November after a year and a half of negotiations.
Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 and businesses fear economic chaos if there is not a deal in place regulating the divorce.
