Donald Tusk suggests UK should cancel Brexit

European Council President Donald Tusk has suggested that the UK should stay in the EU after the prime minister's Brexit deal was rejected in parliament.

Tusk said it was the only possible solution left on the table.

"If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?" he tweeted.

His comments came after a historic defeat for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, who saw her deal to leave the EU rejected by a margin of 230 parliamentarians.

MPs voted by 432 votes to 202 to reject the deal, which sets out the terms of Britain's exit from the EU on 29 March.

EU officials and politicians have reacted with dismay to the result.

It was the largest defeat for a sitting government in history, with 118 of the votes against coming from Prime Minister Theresa May's own Conservative Party.

It has cast more doubt on the Brexit process, and the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has tabled a vote of no confidence in the government.

As well as Tusk's tweet, there has been plenty of comment on Tuesday's vote from across Europe.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that time was running out for the UK to strike a deal.

"I urge the United Kingdom to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up," he said shortly after the result was announced.

A ruling by the European Court of Justice last month stated that the U.K. can unilaterally stop its decision to leave the European Union.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said on different occasions that it is her deal, no deal or no Brexit. She has until Monday to propose a plan B to the U.K. parliament, after Tuesday’s defeat.