Brexit: UK votes on whether to extend March 29 deadline

UK Speaker of the House is accused of ‘Brexit bias’ after selecting an amendment for today’s vote that calls for a new referendum.

Theresa May leaves Number 10 Downing Street. Picture: Getty Images.

Britain’s Speaker of the House John Bercow has infuriated MPs and been accused of ‘Brexit bias’ after selecting an amendment to be voted on today that calls for a second Brexit referendum, but rejecting another amendment opposing one.

Mr Bercow has allowed four amendments to be voted on today, including one that calls on the government to seek an extension to Article 50 to make time for a second referendum. However he refused to allow the amendment seeking to rule out the second referendum, despite it being supported by more MPs than any other amendment.

The decision caused outrage from Brexiteers which Mr Bercow dismissed, telling MPs they must “take the rough with the smooth”.

John Bercow is once more accused of Brexit bias. Picture: Getty Images.

The new controversy came ahead of today’s vote on whether to extend the deadline for the UK to leave the European Union, after parliament twice rejected Theresa May’ withdrawal bill and yesterday ruled out leaving the EU without an agreement under any circumstances.

Today’s vote is on whether to seek a delay of at least three months to Brexit, but will be complicated by EU leaders who have warned they will only allow a delay if the UK agrees a deal.

The PM yesterday issued an ultimatum to parliament: agree to her withdrawal bill when she brings it back to the House for a third time next week or face delaying Brexit for years.

She is proposing that Brexit be delayed until June 30 — but only if parliament approves her Brexit deal. She has warned Brexit supporters who oppose her deal that if no withdrawal agreement is passed in the coming days, the only option will be to seek a long extension that could mean Brexit never happens.

Any delay in the Brexit process would require the unanimous approval of all 27 remaining EU member states.

A second amendment gives MPs — not the government — the power to pass laws the day before Mrs May must ask the EU for a delay to Brexit. If it passes, it will make it harder for hard Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party, who are still holding out against her withdrawal agreement.

European Council president Donald Tusk said today he would urge EU leaders to consider giving the UK a “long extension” to Article 50 to provide time for Britain to “rethink” its Brexit strategy.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator, said the EU would “under no circumstances” agree to an “extension in the dark”.

“Unless there is a clear majority in the House of Commons for something precise, there is no reason at all for the European Council to agree on a prolongation,” he said.

Other amendments include an attempt to prevent Mrs May from bringing her divorce deal back for a third vote.

As it stands, the Prime Minister’s motion calls for a short extension of article 50 if the British parliament passes the withdrawal bill before Wednesday.

It then says that if the bill is not passed then the European Council would highly likely require a clear purpose for any extension.

Any request for a delay would still have to go before EU leaders at a summit in Brussels next Thursday and Friday.

They have already stated that they will only agree to push back the Brexit date if Britain makes concrete proposals to break the crisis.

Unless British MPs agree to the deal or EU leaders unanimously approve a delay, Britain would still have to crash out of the EU with no deal in place on March 29.

The EU has also been reluctant to have any extension that would ­interrupt its European parliament elections from May 23-26.