May's government is seeking approval for a new law giving her the right to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty - the legal process for leaving the bloc - after the Supreme Court ruled she could not take that decision unilaterally.
The bill could complete the legislative process by March 7.
May wants to begin exit negotiations with the EU by March 31, starting two years of talks that will define Britain's economic and political future and test the unity of the EU's 27 remaining members.
Lawmakers voted by 498 to 114 in favour of allowing the bill to progress to the next, more detailed legislative stage. Earlier they rejected an attempt to throw out the bill, proposed by pro-EU Scottish nationalists.
A man poses with an electronic copy of the Brexit Article 50 bill, introduced by the government to seek parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, January 26, 2017.REUTERS/Toby Melville
A man poses with an electronic copy of the Brexit Article 50 bill, introduced by the government to seek parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, January 26, 2017.REUTERS/Toby Melville
The Scottish National Party's Europe spokesman Stephen Gethins described the vote in a statement as "a devastating act of sabotage on Scotland's economy".
A majority of voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland in last summer's referendum backed remaining in the EU, while voters in England and Wales supported Brexit.
Wednesday evening's votes came after two days of impassioned speeches in parliament, which have underlined the lingering sense of shock among the largely pro-European political establishment that 52 percent of their constituents voted to leave the EU in the June 23 referendum.
Despite presiding over a Conservative Party divided over staying in the EU, May, who campaigned for a 'Remain' vote, secured almost unanimous support from her lawmakers for the legislation.
The opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn had also pledged his party's support for the bill at this stage, but 47 of his lawmakers defied his order and voted against the bill.
Labour and other opposition parties will try to amend the bill at the next stage - due to start next week - to give parliament greater scrutiny over the Brexit talks.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-article
