Rebel Labour MPs call for vote on Theresa May's final Brexit deal
2 min read
MPs should be given a chance to vote for Theresa May's final Brexit deal, according to rebel Labour MPs.
They have tabled two amendments to a bill which aims to make it illegal for Boris Johnson to take the UK out of the EU without a deal on 31 October.
Seventeen Labour MPs have put their names to the amendments, including Stephen Kinnock, Gloria de Piero, John Mann and Caroline Flint.
Opposition parties and Tory rebels have given their backing to the rebel bill, which would force the Prime Minister to seek a three-month extension to the Brexit deadline - or accept any other date offered by Brussels.
But the rebel Labour MPs say voters will be left "banging their head against a brick wall" if Brexit is delayed any further.
Instead, they say there should be a Commons vote on the final version of Mrs May's deal, which was never put before MPs because it was destined to be defeated.
In a statement, they said: "Parliament is paralysed by its extremes. Those who are willing to entertain the prospect of no deal, and those for whom no Brexit deal, however comprehensive, will ever be acceptable.
"We do not agree with either camp. We need a deal."
The MPs say the final version of Mrs May's deal - which was drawn up following lengthy negotiations with Labour - would have kept the UK in the EU customs union while guaranteeing workers' rights and and environmentall protections.
It also left open the option of a second EU referendum, as close as frictionless trade with the bloc as possible, and a promise that Northern Ireland would stay aligned with the rest of the UK on regulations and customs.
The MPs' statement added: "These amendments allow colleagues to rally around the opportunity to push forward with cross-party agreement. We all recognise that British politics desperately needs to rediscover the importance of the art of compromise."
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