Brexit: John Bercow blocks vote on Boris Johnson’s deal

John Bercow is accused of bias for ruling out a vote on Johnson’s deal, saying it would be ‘disorderly’.

John Bercow calls the house to order. Picture; AP.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has been accused of bias in a feisty exchange in Westminster after he ruled out a government plan on Monday night to hold a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal negotiated with the European Union.

Mr Bercow rejected the government’s desire for the meaningful decision — a simple yes-no vote — on Boris Johnson’s deal claiming it would be “repetitive and disorderly to do so”.

Mr Bercow said it was unconventional to allow the vote so soon after Mr Johnson abandoned the vote on Saturday over the Oliver Letwin amendment, which ruled the withdrawal agreement had to pass legislation before the House would give its ratification.

“Today’s motion is in substance the same as Saturday’s motion, and the house has decided the matter. Today’s circumstances are in substance the same as Saturday’s circumstances,’’ Mr Bercow ruled.

John Bercow blocked a meaningful vote on the deal.

The speaker’s decision was a slap in the face for the Boris Johnson government, which later on Monday night tabled the withdrawal bill, with a second reading planned for Tuesday, when MPs are set to add various amendments.

These amendments could fundamentally change the nature of the draft agreement, and include attaching either or both of a customs union and a confirmatory referendum.

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told parliament he was pleased that Mr Johnson “cannot be found in a ditch’’ — a reference to the Prime Minister’s “do-or-die in a ditch” declaration that he wouldn’t ask the EU for a Brexit extension, which he was forced to do with an unsigned letter on Saturday evening.

The numbers are so tight in the Tory minority government, the coming days are expecting to be fraught with rebellion and high drama as the government attempts to push through a tight agenda in three days to achieve Brexit — with a deal — by October 31.

If by the end of the week the bill has passed the House of Commons, the House of Lords will sit over the weekend so the Bill can be presented to the European Union summit next week.

However Labour has said it will lodge an amendment for a customs union to be part of the bill, which would involve a whole new series of negotiations and a long Brexit extension.

The last time the customs union and referendum options were put to indicative votes, it was a close call and if just a handful of MPs change their mind either option could gain enough support to pass.

But it appears that all of the opposition parties will have to come together to get the customs union amendment through after rebel Tories indicated they would support the government’s unamended motion.

Earlier, Mr Bercow’s decision caused an uproar in Westminster.

Tory MP and Brexiteer Sir Bernard Jenkin said: “It’s becoming remarkable how much you please one lot and not the other lot’’.

He added that he would scrutinise the decisions of the speaker in a sub committee: ”It is most unusual for a Speaker so often to prevent the government having a debate on the matters which the government wish put before the House’’.

Mr Bercow said in a heated riposte: “I am entirely untroubled by it (the committee scrutiny)’’. He claimed that Sir Bernard didn’t grumble when there were decisions in his favour.

“My judgment is an honourable and fair one,’’ Mr Bercow said.

“I am trying to do the right thing for the House as a whole.’’

Tory Crispin Blunt told Mr Bercow: “I have formally recorded my anxiety about your impartiality in the chair’’.

Mr Bercow has announced he will stand down as the Speaker on October 31, the same day as the current Brexit deadline.

Meanwhile the European Union looked set to delay making a decision on whether to grant a Brexit extension until developments in Westminster were clearer.

Guy Verhofstadt, who chairs the European parliament’s Brexit Steering Group advised parliament to await the full ratification on the UK side before the European parliament votes on the deal.

“It’s now up to the UK Parliament to make their choice,’’ Mr Verhofstadt said.

Brexit bill tabled

The government released its 110 page Brexit withdrawal bill late on Monday night local time (Tueday morning AEDT) with MPs scrutinising it to see if it matches their ideal of a perfect Brexit.

The bill mentions Northern Ireland 189 times in various references, including of course, the withdrawal of Northern Ireland from the EU along with the rest of Britain; and setting out the Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol allowing Northern Ireland to adopt various EU standards on some goods and some checks in the Irish Sea.

The bill also contains a non regression principle on workers’ rights which was included to help win over rebel Labour support to try to get the bill passed.

There is also a clause promising the parliament regular updates and a final vote on the EU future relationship and the final trade deal with the EU.

If a deal is not done by the end of the transition period in 14 months time, there is scope for a further two year extension but only with parliament’s approval.