MPs are debating Brexit and will consider amendments about the fate of EU nationals in the UK after Brexit. They are also expected to approve what could be the last Commons hurdle of the Article 50 Bill – giving the Government the power to begin Brexit.
The latest updates are:
- Corbyn puts May on spot with 'leaked texts' from Tory council leader
- Senior Labour ally to Corbyn hints at quitting over Brexit vote
- Government 'dupes' MPs into clearing the way for hard Brexit
- Starmer says May 'won't dare' come back empty-handed
- Tory Brexit rebels hail ministers' climbdown
- Labour dismisses Corbyn quit date claims
The Government was last night accused of “conning” MPs into backing their plans for Brexit without offering them a meaningful vote on any deal to leave the European Union.
Tory rebels and Labour had been due to gang up in Parliament tonight in an attempt to force ministers to give MPs the power to send Theresa May back to the negotiating table if she fails to secure a good deal.
The Government headed off the rebellion by 326 votes to 293 after earlier promising that MPs would in fact be given a vote on the deal. Brexit minister David Jones had sought to satisfy would-be rebels by saying that MPs would be given a vote before negotiations were concluded and the final deal was put to the European Parliament.
The move was enough to stop wider scale backing for a Labour amendment calling for parliamentary approval of any new relationship with the EU.
But critics have suggested that parliament had been “duped” by the apparent concession.
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson confirmed to journalists at an official briefing that the Government had in fact not changed its position and was only offering a “take-it-or-leave-it” vote. The rejection of any deal at that stage would see the UK crash out of the EU and make it subject to World Trade Organisation rules – making it of no meaningful use to opponents of hard Brexit.
