Bristol MPs are poised to vote in favour of a second referendum and a customs union when the government attempts to bring back its Brexit deal from Tuesday this week.
The government suffered a heavy defeat on Saturday, when MPs put off a vote on Boris Johnson’s deal, forcing him to ask Brussels for a further delay to the October 31 deadline.
Downing Street did want to hold a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal today, but the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, did not allow it on the grounds he does not want to see a repeat of Saturday.
The government is now expected to bring the withdrawal agreement bill - the legislation required to implement the Brexit deal - this year.
The prime minister's official spokesman added: "The Speaker has yet again denied us a chance to deliver on the will of British people."
The Labour party is expected to use the opportunity to support amendments to back a second referendum and a customs union with the EU. The government opposes both options.
Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire tweeted Labour would support amendments for the whole of the UK remaining in the customs union.
One of the key concerns of the Conservatives’ confidence and supply partners, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), is that the deal creates regulatory differences between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK - something they believe jeopardises the union.
Debbonaire also said Labour would support an amendment for any deal to be subject to a confirmatory vote, with an option to remain in the EU.
“I stood on a Labour manifesto in 2015 which supported our membership of the EU,” she said. "My constituents in Bristol West mostly voted to remain and mostly still believe that’s best. I took a vow as an MP to do my best for this country. So I cannot support what the government is doing.”
'I don’t think there is any Brexit deal that is better than Remain'
Kerry McCarthy, the MP for Bristol East, told Bristol Live: “Parliament is in deadlock and the only way to resolve this is to put the deal back to the people now they know what Brexit looks like.”
On a customs union, McCarthy said: “My preferred option is to remain in the EU - I don’t think there is any Brexit deal that is better than Remain.
“A customs union goes some way to addressing concerns. In the spirit of compromise, I would support this as the least worst version of Brexit.”
The government has said it would also pull the Withdrawal Agreement Bill if it was amended to such an extent that it became too different to what was agreed with the EU.
“If the legislation in the House of Commons steps too far away from what was agreed in the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration that does bring into question ratification,” they said.
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