Brexit: After surviving confidence vote what will happen now?
Theresa May’s government has narrowly survived a no-confidence vote but still faces a daunting array of options
Theresa May’s government this morning survived by 19 votes the no confidence motion brought by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, but is now locked in a fight to break the Brexit deadlock.
So what could happen now?
Labour forces election
Labor’s leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to join cross-party talks to find a way forward on Brexit and is expected to table multiple votes of no confidence until he triggers a general election. Brushing aside the expected defeat on the confidence motion early today, one senior Labor MP told The Times: “This is not about one vote of no confidence in the government, it is about a sustained campaign to show it has no majority.’’
If Labour does win a no-confidence motion, the government has 14 days to show it can sustain itself in parliament. After that time it must dissolve parliament and call an election, which can’t take place until another 25 business days have elapsed.
Corbyn backs second referendum
After losing the no-confidence motion, Jeremy Corbyn is under increased pressure from Labour grassroots members and party Remainers to back a new referendum. Neither Mr Corbyn nor Mrs May are in favour of going back to the people but Labour Remainers can argue that now the party has failed to trigger a general election that would hand Labour control of the Brexit negotiations, and Mrs May’s government can’t be trusted to take the country out of the EU, a second referendum is the only way forward.
However even if he swung his support behind a fresh referendum, it would take time to implement and there would be extensive debate over what question should be asked.
There is already considerable debate over whether the question posed in a new referendum should be a repeat of the 2016 vote, or should there be three questions: to remain, to leave with Mrs May’s deal or leave with no-deal?
MPs delay Article 50
The EU expects this option to be the most likely; officials are already examining plans to delay Brexit until 2020 after Germany and France indicated their willingness to extend negotiations after the crushing defeat of Mrs May’s withdrawal bill on Wednesday (AEDT).
At the moment the UK is set to leave the EU at 11pm (GMT) on March 29. The EU had been planning for a three month delay but according to The Times, officials are now investigating legal routes to postpone Brexit until next year.
Peter Altmaier, Germany’s economy minister, who is close to Angela Merkel, the chancellor, told the BBC: “The European Union should allow for additional time in order to achieve a clear position by the British parliament and people. I would see this as a reasonable request.”
Nathalie Loiseau, France’s European Affairs minister, told France Inter radio a delay was feasible but Britain needed to move quickly.
“Legally, technically, it’s possible,” she said. “It is not up to us Europeans to tell the British what to do.
“What we can tell them is hurry up because March 29 is soon.”
A source close to Brexit talks in Brussels told The Times: “There is work going on to see how Article 50 can be extended beyond the European elections (on May 23). Any extension can only be a one-off so after the defeat it looks sensible to go for a longer period.”
Theresa May goes
We’re tempted to say ‘good luck with that,” but it is always possible. Although her authority has been badly damaged — the victory over the no confience motion was hardly resounding -Mrs May also survived a no-confidence vote in her leadership late last year and becuase of party rules she can’t be unseated for another year
If — against all the odds — she resigned, it would be tricky for the party to elect a new leader before March 29. The process to elect a new leader takes six to eight weeks unless all the candidates but one backed out. If Mrs May was forced out, it would in turn require the UK to ask for an extension of Article 50.
Theresa M ay settles on Plan B
Cabinet Brexiteers want Mrs May to put foward a Plan B motion on Monday which would include a promise to impose a time limit on the Irish backstop and to negotiate a Canada-style free trade deal.
Mrs May could also allow parliament to vote on all the options on the table, in a series of so-called ‘indicative’ votes of various Brexit options — including trade deals along the lines of Norway or Canada, no deal, a Second Referendum, and her own deal.
No deal Brexit
While some MPs are pushing for a no-deal Brexit, others are manoeuvring to delay the leaving date or build pressure for a new referendum.
European leaders have indicated they were unlikely to make further concessions in the wake of the Brexit withdrawal bill’s defeat and Remainers are threatening rebellion if Mrs May backs a no-deal exit.
However a group of rebel Tories have put forward a motion to allow MPs themselves to devise and pass Brexit legislation that would require Mrs May to request an extension of Article 50 should no deal have been agreed by the start of March. Commons officials say such a motion would be effective as long as it was selected by the Speaker and agreed by a majority of MPs and Speaker John Bercow has already indicated his support for such a deal.
Women egged in anti-Semitic attack at Bondi Beach
Three men allegedly set upon a number of women on Saturday night in Sydney's east, throwing eggs at them, with police believing they were targeted because of the clothes they were wearing.
‘Hunted down and locked up’: PM condemns latest anti-Semitic attack
Anthony Albanese has condemned a spate of anti-Semitic hate crimes which has culminated in the discovery of a caravan packed with explosives outside Sydney, declaring the perpetrators 'would not succeed' creating hate and division.