Brexit is hanging in the balance, and British Prime Minister Theresa May's hopes for an "orderly" UK exit from the European Union before the March 29 deadline have been all but dashed.

Key points: Some of Brexit's key political and financial backers have been looking abroad

Some of Brexit's key political and financial backers have been looking abroad Remain supporters have been highly critical, accusing them of hypocrisy

Remain supporters have been highly critical, accusing them of hypocrisy But the men in the firing line have defended their decisions as unrelated to Brexit

British MPs have rejected Mrs May's latest Brexit proposal and also voted against leaving the EU without a deal, meaning Parliament would now decide whether to extend the deadline.

An extension is designed to give the UK more time to come up with a way out of Brexit deadlock, but it will also have the effect of dragging out the uncertainty that has dogged the country for nearly three years.

Analysts agree the country is woefully underprepared for the realities of leaving the EU, and its economy has suffered as a result of the ongoing uncertainty.

A no-deal scenario would almost certainly worsen the situation.

Concern over Brexit has prompted thousands of ordinary Brits to seek citizenship overseas and some businesses to relocate to Europe — but they're not the only ones.

In an ironic twist, some of Brexit's key political and financial backers appear to have been looking abroad too, much to the annoyance of Remain supporters who have accused them of hypocrisy.

German passports for the kids

Nigel Farage is one of the most recognisable proponents of Brexit, but two of his children have German passports. ( Reuters: Clodagh Kilcoyne )

One of the key Brexit campaigners, Nigel Farage, is no stranger to controversy.

The former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader has been heavily criticised for advocating against the EU while serving as a member of the European Parliament, and suggesting in a BBC interview that he would collect an EU pension after leaving the institution.

Mr Farage, who railed against the "elites" he said were pushing for the UK to remain part of the union, has long appeared impervious to any criticism from his office in Brussels.

A reported visit to the German embassy in London in 2016, around the time of the Brexit referendum, prompted unfounded speculation online he was looking for a permanent way out of the UK.

It later emerged that his two daughters with his German wife, Kirsten Mehr, hold German passports — giving them the unfettered access to the EU that many Brits would like to keep.

Ms Mehr and Mr Farage have been separated since 2017, according to UK media reports.

Moving business headquarters to Singapore

Sir James Dyson, left, with the Queen and other recipients of the Order of Merit at Buckingham Palace, is taking his business elsewhere. ( Reuters: Dominic Lipinsk )

Billionaire Brexit backer James Dyson sparked a firestorm of criticism when it emerged in January that he was moving his company's headquarters to Singapore.

Mr Dyson — whose eponymous company is best known for its vacuum cleaners — has called on the UK to leave the EU without a deal.

But his company won't be sticking around to discover firsthand how that might pan out.

The announcement came as scores of other major firms were shifting their operations to other countries ahead of Brexit.

Dyson's chief executive Jim Rowan denied the move was related to Brexit, telling UK newspapers it was about "future proofing" the business.

Sought residency in France

Nigel Lawson, a former chancellor in Margaret Thatcher's government, has reportedly called Brexit "a mess". ( Reuters: Toby Melville )

Nigel Lawson chaired the Vote Leave campaign, is president of Conservatives for Britain, and supports lobby group Leave Means Leave.

He has also reportedly lived in a sprawling property in the south of France since 2001 — and announced last year that he would apply for a French residency card.

Unsurprisingly, his plans fanned the flames of controversy back in the UK.

However, there is now some confusion over whether Mr Lawson will follow through, with a local English-language newspaper reporting recently that he wanted to sell his home in France.

Those reports have not been confirmed, but he was clear in his feeling about the continent in a 2016 interview with The Guardian, saying: "I love Europe. That's why I live in France."

Opened new business in Ireland

Jacob Rees-Mogg was instrumental in a failed bid to oust Theresa May as prime minister over her handling of Brexit last year. ( Reuters: Clodagh Kilcoyne )

Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg is a staunch Eurosceptic who has argued vociferously against Mrs May's EU divorce deal from the Government's backbench.

He made waves in mid 2018 when the Financial Times revealed that a London-based financial firm he cofounded had launched an investment fund in Ireland.

A prospectus for the firm, Somerset Capital Management, last year warned investors about the "considerable uncertainty" relating to Brexit, saying UK-based operations "may as a result be affected".

However, Mr Rees-Mogg insisted in an interview with the UK's Telegraph newspaper that the decision to launch the Irish fund had "nothing whatsoever to do with Brexit".