Theresa May facing fresh Brexit rebellion as Remainers demand she spells out cost of her Brexit deal
3 min read
Theresa May has yet another Conservative rebellion on her hands as at least nine Tory MPs called on ministers to give a full explanation of how her Brexit deal would compare with staying in the EU.
Leading Tory Remain supporters including former attorney general Dominic Grieve and Health Select Committee chair Sarah Wollaston are among the Conservative MPs backing a cross-party amendment to the Finance Bill led by Labour's Chuka Umunna and Conservative Anna Soubry.
The cross-party tweak to the Budget legislation - set to be voted on next Monday - would force ministers to publish a full breakdown of how any Brexit agreement Mrs May strikes would compare with staying in the bloc.
The Government would also have to publish an assessment of how leaving the EU without a deal would stack up against the status quo.
The MPs are meanwhile demanding that the independent Office for Budget Responsibility steps in to analyse the government's figures before MPs are asked to vote on any deal the Prime Minister reaches with Brussels.
Mr Umunna told PoliticsHome: "It is vital MPs have all the information necessary to make the most important decision Parliamentarians will be making since the Second World War.
"There must be no attempt to pull the wool over our eyes or hoodwink the House of Commons on the economic impact of any Brexit deal.
"MPs from all parties are demanding we see the cross Whitehall economic analysis of any deal and that must be measured against the deal we have now as an EU member."
The amendment has already won the backing of 34 MPs from across the House of Commons, including former education secretary Justine Greening and ex-ministers Philip Lee, Guto Bebb and Jonathan Djanogly.
Other Tories siding with the bid to force more information from the Government include Antoinette Sandbach and Heidi Allen. The amendment has also won the support of a string of Labour MPs including Jess Philips as well as Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, the Green Party's Caroline Lucas and the SNP's Stephen Gethins.
News of the revolt comes just hours before Mrs May faces a potential Commons humiliation at the hands of her Brexiteer MPs, who could side with Labour to demand to see the legal advice behind her plans for quitting the EU.
Pro-Brexit MPs from the European Research Group had tabled a Commons bid to see a summary of the legal advice - but it was rejected by Commons bosses, meaning the Labour bid for full details is the only possible chance.
Eurosceptics fear the so-called 'backstop' proposals being thrashed out with the EU could leave Britain tied to the bloc's customs arrangements indefinitely.
ERG deputy chair Mark Francois told The Sun: "We all appreciate the convention that the Attorney General’s advice is not usually published.
"However, this is potentially so important that it could effect the destiny of this country.
"So to make an informed decision, it’s critical Parliament sees the same legal advice as the Cabinet.”
The Prime Minister is also on track for an embarrassing defeat over an apparent delay in the Government's plans to crack down on fixed odds betting terminals.
More than 20 Conservatives, including ex-foreign secretary Boris Johnson, are backing another Commons amendment to the Finance Bill insisting a cut in the maximum stake for the controversial gambling machines be brought forward by six months.
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