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| MPs to get vote on new Brexit Bill as Government caves in to Tory rebels | MPs to get vote on new Brexit Bill as Government caves in to Tory rebels |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| David Davis has caved in to demands for MPs to vote on a separate Bill to implement any Brexit agreement, to head off a major Tory revolt. | David Davis has caved in to demands for MPs to vote on a separate Bill to implement any Brexit agreement, to head off a major Tory revolt. |
| The Brexit Secretary said the legislation would cover the issues of citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and any implementation period – or transitional deal – agreed. | The Brexit Secretary said the legislation would cover the issues of citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and any implementation period – or transitional deal – agreed. |
| It would allow MPs to examine any Brexit agreement “line-by-line”, Mr Davis acknowledged, which means - crucially - that it could be amended. | It would allow MPs to examine any Brexit agreement “line-by-line”, Mr Davis acknowledged, which means - crucially - that it could be amended. |
| Labour immediately welcomed a “recognition that the Government is about to lose a series of votes” on the Commons floor. | Labour immediately welcomed a “recognition that the Government is about to lose a series of votes” on the Commons floor. |
| However, Mr Davis – asked if the UK would still leave the EU if Parliament rejected the Brexit deal – replied: “Yes.” | However, Mr Davis – asked if the UK would still leave the EU if Parliament rejected the Brexit deal – replied: “Yes.” |
| “It's a meaningful vote but it's not meaningful in the sense that you can reverse the whole decision,” he said, delivering a statement. | |
| And he rejected a call, by pro-EU Tory Anna Soubry, for MPs to vote if Britain is heading for a “no deal Brexit”, replying: “If we don’t have an agreement, we can’t have a withdrawal agreement Bill.” | And he rejected a call, by pro-EU Tory Anna Soubry, for MPs to vote if Britain is heading for a “no deal Brexit”, replying: “If we don’t have an agreement, we can’t have a withdrawal agreement Bill.” |
| Ten Conservative MPs had signed an amendment insisting the promised “meaningful vote” had to take the form of standalone legislation, threatening the Government with possible defeat. | Ten Conservative MPs had signed an amendment insisting the promised “meaningful vote” had to take the form of standalone legislation, threatening the Government with possible defeat. |
| However, Theresa May has repeatedly insisted MPs will not be able to block Brexit, because rejecting any deal would mean leaving with “no deal”. | However, Theresa May has repeatedly insisted MPs will not be able to block Brexit, because rejecting any deal would mean leaving with “no deal”. |
| Although the concession was welcomed, MPs of all parties immediately criticised Mr Davis for not going far enough. | |
| Under questioning, he admitted there was no guarantee the Bill would come before Brexit day, in March 2019, describing that only as “our principal policy aim”. | |
| And he rejected a call from Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General, for the two-year Article 50 talks to be extended, if “we run out of time”. | |
| Heidi Allen, another Tory rebel, tweeted that a fresh Bill would be “pointless” if MPs also back the Prime Minister’s plan to put the exact date and time of withdrawal in legislation. | |
| “Pointless if we have enshrined a drop dead date in the Bill, & get a deal at 11th hour! There’d be no time!” she said. | |
| Keir Starmer, Labour’s Brexit spokesman, said: “This is a significant climbdown from a weak government on the verge of defeat.” | |
| But he added: “Ministers must now go further. They need to accept Labour’s amendments that would ensure transitional arrangements, and protect jobs and the economy from a cliff edge.” | |
| Tom Brake, for the Liberal Democrats, said a true meaningful vote was still not on offer, adding: “If they [MPs] reject the Government's Brexit deal, they must have the option to stay in the EU.” | |
| But Mr Davis did agree that any amendments made by MPs would be treated by the Government as an “instruction to go back” and seek a better deal. | |
| More follows… | More follows… |