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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dan Bloom

Theresa May's magnificent Brexit glare as MP says her deal was better than Boris

You probably don't feel much pity for Theresa May.

But you can still agree it's not simple being the former PM.

Her Brexit deal went down to a spectacular 230-vote defeat, only for Boris Johnson to bring back a "worse" one - and have a sniff of victory.

So you can understand if she's a bit testy when MPs complain today's agreement is worse than hers ever was.

Why, she might ask, didn't you bloody approve my one then?

The former Prime Minister doesn't speak much in Parliament these days. But she does sit in the Commons - and her looks often give her away.

None so much as her icy thousand-yard stare to Ian Blackford, one of the MPs complaining her deal was better than what's now on offer.

The former Prime Minister sat next to longest-serving MP Ken Clarke (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

The SNP Westminster leader said: " The Prime Minister has returned from Brussels to present a deal that we all know is actually worse than Theresa May ’s deal.

"It is a deal that would see Scotland shafted by this United Kingdom Government and left at an economic disadvantage.

"With Scotland’s views and interests totally disregarded by this Prime Minister and his Government."

She didn't say anything - but boy, did she glower.

It came as Parliament sat on a Saturday for the first time since 1982 to approve or reject Boris Johnson ’s Brexit deal (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

There are several reasons why  MPs are saying Boris Johnson's deal - which is 64 pages of amendments to Theresa May's - is worse.

Mr Johnson won a victory by getting rid of the 'Irish backstop', which would have trapped the whole of the UK inside EU customs rules indefinitely.

But in return, he's had to set up what the DUP say is effectively a customs border down the Irish Sea - splitting Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

That's because although legally the customs border is between Northern Ireland and the Republic, in practice, customs checks will happen when goods arrive by sea or air.

Meanwhile Northern Ireland will also share some EU single market rules with the Republic, forcing more checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea.

And the DUP will not get a veto over these arrangements - they would last until 2025 at least, and then continue if backed by a simple majority in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

MPs packed into the House of Commons chamber (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)
Speaker John Bercow presided over proceedings (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

It came as Parliament sat on a Saturday for the first time since 1982 to approve or reject Boris Johnson ’s Brexit deal.

At the same time, demanding a second referendum – a “People’s Vote”.

But the vote risked becoming a total damp squib after MP Oliver Letwin - and put off the final decision until later.

That prompted No10 to threaten to pull or sit out the vote to avoid handing a symbolic victory to the expelled Tory and his Labour allies.

Today’s vote was already on a knife edge as victory hinged on just a few Labour MPs in Leave seats.

Last night Boris Johnson unveiled a last-minute offer on workers’ rights after his deal watered them down. But it was slammed by Labour’s leadership and the TUC as not worth the paper it’s written on.

Boris Johnson began speaking in the Commons at 9.30am with the final vote expected this afternoon.

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