Brexit: Theresa May raises stakes with vote on stripped down deal
Theresa May will present a stripped down withdrawal bill to the Commons, with a last-gasp vote.
Theresa May has found a way to present a stripped down Brexit bill to the House of Commons, with a dramatic last-gasp vote in the early hours of tomorrow, (AEDT).
Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom told MPs the Commons would hold a special sitting on March 29, the date originally slated as Brexit day.
But Mrs May is still desperately trying to win over hard Brexiteers who are still reluctant to support her, as is the Democratic Unionist Party, which insists it will reject the motion.
It is believed the Prime Minister, who has promised to resign as leader if the bill is passed, is still 40 to 50 votes short of success.
Speaker of the House John Bercow said he would allow Mrs May to table the Brexit motion — on the last possible day the European Union demanded — after Mrs May “decoupled’’ the withdrawal agreement from the political declaration.
MP’s will only consider the divorce part of Brexit and not the future framework, which satisfies Mr Bercow’s demands that any motion be substantially different from the two previously tabled meaningful votes, which suffered big losses.
If Mrs May succeeds with this last ditch effort, Britain will leave the EU on May 22, although further votes will be needed for final ratification.
Parliament has agreed to sit on Friday to hear the motion, which will start at 8.30pm tonight AEDT. A vote is expected some time after midnight.
Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox told parliament that the government’s plans to submit just part of the Brexit withdrawal bill is legal, and he will open the debate.
But Labour Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said the party will whip against the motion because it would be a ‘’blind Brexit’’.
If the motion is lost then the UK is set to leave the EU on April 12 unless the government revokes Article 50 or obtains agreement with the EU to a long extension.
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