Number 10 heaps pressure on Speaker John Bercow to choose Brexiteer amendments
3 min read
Downing Street has upped the pressure on John Bercow to choose ministers' favoured 'Plan B' Brexit amendments for tomorrow's crucial Commons vote.
Ahead of the fresh parliamentary showdown, Theresa May's spokesperson called on the Commons Speaker - who has been accused of showing a pro-Remain bias - to "ensure a wide range of views" are selected for a vote.
MPs will be asked to cast their verdict on a batch of proposed alternatives to Theresa May's agreement, which was roundly rejected in an historic Commons defeat earlier this month.
But the choice of amendments is in the gift of Mr Bercow, who enraged Brexiteers and Downing Street when he declined to pick previous amendments aimed at allowing MPs to demand alternatives to the Northern Ireland backstop ahead of the bruising defeat.
Number 10 had hoped that would limit the scale of the defeat and send a clear signal to Brussels that Mrs May's deal could pass with some changes to the Irish border plan.
Ahead of tomorrow's fresh vote, ministers have expressed support for a new bid by influential Conservative backbencher Sir Graham Brady to demand that the backstop is replaced with "alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border" in Ireland.
Another amendment in the name of Conservative MP Andrew Murrison seeks to put a time-limit on the backstop, something which Brussels has so far refused.
Speaking to reporters today, Mrs May's official spokesman took a thinly-veiled dig at Mr Bercow.
"The amendments which are selected are entirely a matter for the Speaker," he said. "I'm sure he'll want to ensure a wide range of views from across the House are considered."
Relations between Mr Bercow and the Government have hit a new low in recent months, with frequent Commons clashes between the Speaker and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom.
Mr Bercow meanwhile prompted a wave of anger from Brexiteers earlier this month when he allowed MPs to vote on an amendment tabled by pro-Remain Tory MP Dominic Grieve that critics said was at odds with longstanding parliamentary convention.
It was also reported that Number 10 is considering witholding the customary peerage handed to ex-Speakers when Mr Bercow steps down.
Meanwhile, senior Tory eurosceptics have signalled that they will not back Mr Brady's amendment.
Bernard Jenkin said: "It's very vague and it's deliberately vague because it's meant to mean different things to different people, and if people vote for that in the expectation that something's going to happen, it will lead to more misundertanding and resentment and it won't help at all."
Reacting to the comments, Mr Brady told PoliticsHome: "I intend to move my amendment, I hope they will reconsider."
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