Just two more Labour MPs backed Theresa May’s Brexit deal in the latest vote, despite last-minute pledges by the government to grant parliament powers over the next stage of the negotiation with the EU.
Rosie Cooper and Jim Fitzpatrick both voted with the government on Friday, bringing the total number of Labour rebels to five, along with Caroline Flint, Kevin Barron and John Mann.
Both Cooper and Fitzpatrick had made clear their opposition to a second referendum in recent weeks, which Labour had whipped to support on Wednesday.
The pair had also signed an amendment authored by the Labour MPs Lisa Nandy and Gareth Snell, which would have given parliament a vote on the government’s future negotiating mandate, but the amendment was not selected by the Speaker.
Nandy and Snell both voted against the government on Friday, despite a promise by May and the attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, that the government would accept their demand and write the guarantees in the withdrawal agreement bill.
Snell said it had been a “difficult, horrible day” and he had made his decision at the last possible moment.
“I wanted to vote for it this morning, [then changed] to thinking about abstaining and then in the last 15 minutes decided to vote against, because while the PM said lovely things about my amendment, it is not immediately the answer,” he said. “I am hoping we will get something better in the week ahead.”
Snell said his constituents expected him not to frustrate Brexit but there was “increasing unpleasant pressure on Labour MPs from the membership and yet I do not know what Labour is going to offer next week”.
Fitzpatrick, the MP for Poplar and Limehouse in London, said he was convinced he should back the withdrawal agreement in order to insure against the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. “I don’t want a no deal. I’ve voted against it twice, but this is a different proposition,” he said.
“It’s separating the withdrawal deal, it gives us the opportunities to influence the final political situation and therefore, from my point of view, it’s a better offer. I’ve been saying for some time if it’s a choice between her deal or no deal, then I’d take her deal.”
(April 2, 2019) Cabinet meets
Theresa May's cabinet will meet to discuss what to do next after the outcome of the indicative votes. With no alternative options gaining a majority among MPs, she could still decide to go for a fourth 'meaningful vote' on her deal.
(April 3, 2019) Parliament may choose to debate again
Parliament may decide to have another set of indicative votes.
(April 10, 2019) Lengthy extension agreed?
If the UK parliament or government changed tack and backed either a second referendum or a general election was called, then a lengthy article 50 extension would be required. EU leaders would decide how long at a summit they are holding on this date.
(April 12, 2019) Possible no deal departure?
If Theresa May's deal is not passed by parliament, then, with no other developments, this would be the date that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
(May 22, 2019) Possible departure with a deal?
If Theresa May's deal does pass parliament, this would be the scheduled date of the UK's departure from the EU.
(May 23, 2019) European parliamentary elections
Unless there is a further longer extension of article 50, the EU27 will vote for a new set of MEPs without the UK participating.
(May 22, 2019) Conservative leadership election?
If Theresa May's deal passes parliament, she is expected to stand down after the UK leaves the EU on 22 March, triggering a contest for the leadership of the Conservative party. Although there has been some suggestion she might hold out through the summer so that the contest takes place after the next Tory conference in October.
May’s spokesman said there was grave disappointment at the lack of support from Labour. “We know that the vast majority of MPs have no issue with the withdrawal agreement and any Brexit option requires it to pass,” the spokesman said. “It smacks a little bit of party politics.”
However, though Downing Street sources said they had hoped the Snell amendment might have brought several more Labour MPs onboard, they conceded it would not have been enough to make the difference, though one joked it was a 40% increase on the last vote.
“We know getting these votes is really difficult,” a No 10 source said. “Certain people are only going to move if they know they are going to be the difference.”
Speaking in the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn said his party “would not play roulette with the country’s future, especially when the roulette wheel is rigged by the Conservative party”.
He said that although the government had tried “begging, bullying and bribery” it had still been defeated by a huge margin at the last time of asking.
He said Labour was prepared “to compromise to get this resolved” and suggested it would work further with MPs who had authored a number of soft Brexit options for last week’s indicative votes, including proposals for a customs union and the Norway-style Brexit plan known as “common market 2.0”.
“The country deserves a better deal, and I am convinced that such a deal can be negotiated,” he said. “And, if members decide, the chance for people to have a final say. If we cannot do that on Monday, then I ultimately see no alternative to a general election.”
MPs backing a soft Brexit are hoping to forge a consensus option to be put to parliament when the next round of indicative votes take place – with some aiming to persuade Labour to throw its weight behind a compromise wording rather than tabling its own version of Brexit, which would be less likely to attract Conservative MPs.
The government’s efforts could focus on persuading Labour MPs that a new Tory leader would put the promises made to them in doubt. “If we are in a world where we have elected a leader who has tacked harder to the right, they are actually going to have a harder time in this parliament,” one Tory source said.
Nandy said that was one of the key things that Labour MPs who wanted to deliver Brexit had serious doubts over. “We don’t know who is going to be prime minister at the next stage or what sort of commitments they will expect to be bound by,” she told Sky News. “She [May] has made it far more difficult for Labour MPs to support this deal.”
