Theresa May confirms MPs will be given vote on delaying Brexit if her deal is rejected
4 min read
Theresa May has confirmed that MPs will be given a vote on whether or not to delay Brexit if she cannot get the House of Commons to back her EU deal.
In a major u-turn which came amid the threat of government resignations over a no-deal Brexit, Mrs May said she would hold two votes on a way forward if her deal is rejected by MPs on 12 March.
One vote on 13 March would be on whether to leave the EU without a deal, while the other, on 14 March, would be on extending Article 50.
The Prime Minister said: "I know members across the House are genuinely worried that time is running out, that if the government doesn’t come back with a further meaningful vote, or it loses that vote, parliament wont have time to make its voice heard on the next steps.
"I know that members across the house are deeply concerned by the effect of the current uncertainty on businesses, so today I want to reassure the House by making three further commitments.
"First, we will hold a second meaningful vote by Tuesday 12 March at the latest.
"Second, if the Government has not won a meaningful vote by Tuesday 12 March, then it... will table a motion to be voted on by Wednesday 13 March by the latest, asking this house if it supports leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement and a framework for a future relationship on the 29 March.
"So, the UK will only leave without a deal on 29 March if there is explicit consent in the House for that outcome."
And she added: "Third, if the House having rejected leaving with the deal negotiated with the EU, then rejects leaving on 29 March without a Withddrawal Agreement and future framework, the government will on March 14 bring forward a motion on whether Parliament wants to bring forward a short, limited extension to Article 50.
"And if the house votes for an extension, seek to agree that extension approved by the House with the EU, and bring forward the necessary legislation to change the exit date commensurate with that extension."
But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn scoffed: "They say history repeats itself, first time as tragedy, second time as farce by the umpteenth time it can only be described as grotesquely reckless.
"This is not dithering: it’s a deliberate strategy to run down the clock."
MAY: I DO NOT WANT TO EXTEND ARTICLE 50
The move - which is likely to trigger an angry backlash from Tory Brexiteers - came after three ministers openly threatened to back a cross-party bid to extend Article 50 and postpone Brexit in a bid to swerve a no-deal "disaster".
Claire Perry, Richard Harrington and Margot James had said: "We must act immediately to ensure that we are not swept over the precipice on 29 March.
"The way to do that is to seek a short extension to Article 50 to allow the negotiations to be completed, the legislation to pass and for the panic that businesses face to subside."
Mrs May was also facing the prospect of departures from the very top of her Government, with Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark all considering their positions to vote for the cross-party amendment this week.
But the Prime Minister told MPs as she announced the concession: "Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended.
"Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on the 29 March.
"An extension beyond the end of June would mean the UK taking part in the European parliament elections.
"What kind of message would that send to the more than 17 million people who voted to leave the EU nearly three years ago now?
And she warned: "An extension cannot take no-deal off the table. The only way to do that is to revoke Article 50 - which I shall not do - or agree a deal. Now, I’ve been clear throughout the process that my aim is to bring the country back together.
"This House can only do that by implementing the decision of the British people and the Government is determined to do so in a way that commands the support of this House."
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