Brexit: Theresa May delivers final salvo in desperate attempt to save bill

Theresa May is facing such an historic defeat of 2:1 with her Brexit Bill that it could be terminal for her political career.

Theresa May is facing a historic defeat tomorrow. Picture: AAP.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has delivered “a hand of history’’ speech in her final salvo to rescue the flawed Brexit Withdrawal Bill that faces a calamitous defeat tomorrow morning (AEDT).

But the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was unimpressed at her last stance oratory and hinted he would bring about a vote of no confidence in the Conservative government immediately after the Brexit bill decision, saying: “The government is in disarray; it is time for a general election.’’

Mrs May is facing such an historic defeat of 2:1 that it could be terminal for her political career, as well as thrust Brexit into fresh uncertainty.

Downing Street insiders believe cabinet could encourage Mrs May to step down if the defeat is by a margin of 200 or more after the 650 votes are cast.

This morning she was meeting all Tory MPs at Portcullis House, but even if there was an extraordinary change of mind by her colleagues, the vote will still fail. Based on public pronouncements, around 108 Tory MP’s have said they will vote against the bill, and coupled with the Labour opposition, some independents, the Scottish nationalists and the Democratic Unionist party members, the bill could be defeated with just 200-250 voting for it and more than 400 against.

Q&A: AFTER WITHDRAWAL VOTE, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The extent of the defeat will largely mould the next steps: seeking fresh EU changes to the agreement; bringing it back to the parliament for another vote, extending Article 50 to buy more time, or look to other forms of Brexit such as the Norway or Canada options. All of the scenarios could also play out amidst a fresh election or second referendum vote.

Mrs May delivered her address to the Commons hours after the European Commission and the European Council issued a joint letter providing some warm words about the intent of future negotiations to prevent a backstop on the Irish border. But the European leaders Donald Tusk and Jean Claude Juncker both acknowledged: “We are not in a position to change anything that is not in agreement with the Withdrawal agreement’’.

The Democratic Unionist Party member Nigel Dodds slapped down the letters saying: “The letters don’t overrule the treaty, they are a fig leaf and a small fig leaf at that.’’

Mrs May insisted that the letter did have some legal weight, although she recognised it didn’t go as far as many MPs wanted. She refused to extend Article 50 as she tried to convince hundreds of opponents to back her bill in the final hours.

All the while a group of Remainer Tory MPs have been working behind the scenes to cross the floor with a series of amendments to stop Brexit altogether, or modify it to allow a second referendum or a fresh deal with the EU.

Conservative MP Nick Boles said a cross-party committee will take over once the vote is defeated.

“We will find a way to stop it (a no deal Brexit) happening,’’ he said.

Mrs May said trust in the parliament would suffer catastrophic harm if the parliament did not deliver on the Brexit referendum, insisting her “compromise’’ deal was the only viable option.

However her lobbying suffered a significant setback when the Conservative whip Gareth Johnson resigned, saying the deal would be detrimental to the country.

Mrs May appealed to parliamentarians to reconsider their opposition: “So I say to Members on all sides of this House,- whatever you may have previously concluded — over these next 24 hours, give this deal a second look. No, it is not perfect. And yes, it is a compromise. But when the history books are written, people will look at the decision of this House tomorrow and ask: did we deliver on the country’s vote to leave the European Union? Did we safeguard our economy, our security and our union? Or did we let the British people down? I say we sold deliver for the British people and get on with building a brighter future for our country by backing this deal tomorrow’’.