MPs have voted by a majority of 373 in favour of a Labour motion calling on the government to set out its Brexit plan and activate article 50 before the end of March next year.
In the face of a potential revolt from some Tory MPs, Theresa May on Tuesday decided to accept a Labour motion calling for ministers to reveal their thinking before acting to leave the European Union.
In turn, however, the prime minister insisted on an amendment that asked MPs to agree to the government’s self-imposed deadline of the end of March for triggering article 50.
The house voted for the motion as amended, with 448 MPs in favour and 75 against.
Some 23 Labour MPs are understood to have voted against the amendment, but only one Tory – the former frontbencher Ken Clarke. Five Lib Dem MPs, 51 from the SNP, three SDLP, three Plaid Cymru, two independents and one Green MP also voted against.
MPs held two votes in total, with the first in favour of adding the government amendment to the original Labour motion, by 461 votes to 89, a majority 372.
