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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Brexit: Theresa May defeated in critical vote on key EU withdrawal law | Brexit: Theresa May defeated in critical vote on key EU withdrawal law |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Government has been defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a critical vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. | The Government has been defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a critical vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. |
| MPs amended her EU Withdrawal Bill against Theresa May's will, so guaranteeing Parliament a "meaningful" vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. | |
| Ms May's whips applied heavy pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305, a margin of just four votes. | Ms May's whips applied heavy pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305, a margin of just four votes. |
| Justice Minister Dominic Raab also sought to pick rebels off with concessions he offered from the Commons floor, but not enough backed down for Ms May to avoid her first defeat over the legislation. | Justice Minister Dominic Raab also sought to pick rebels off with concessions he offered from the Commons floor, but not enough backed down for Ms May to avoid her first defeat over the legislation. |
| The setback is a major blow to Ms May' political authority, underlining how fragile her parliamentary majority is and also signalling that those who disagree with her Brexit plans are ready to cross a line in opposing their own leader. | |
| The Government remained defiant following the defeat, with a spokeswoman saying: "We are disappointed that Parliament has voted for this amendment despite the strong assurances that we have set out. | |
| "We are as clear as ever that this Bill, and the powers within it, are essential. | "We are as clear as ever that this Bill, and the powers within it, are essential. |
| "This amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day. We will now determine whether further changes are needed to the Bill to ensure it fulfils its vital purpose." | "This amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day. We will now determine whether further changes are needed to the Bill to ensure it fulfils its vital purpose." |
| But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose MPs backed Mr Grieve's proposals to change the Government's Bill, branded it a "humiliating" defeat for Ms May. | |
| Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve led the rebellion via his amendment seven, which would require any Brexit deal to be approved by a separate Act of Parliament before it could be implemented. | |
| He warned ministers they had "run out of road" and drew upon Winston Churchill's spirit as he said he intended to put "country before his party". | He warned ministers they had "run out of road" and drew upon Winston Churchill's spirit as he said he intended to put "country before his party". |
| In total 11 Tory MPs rebelled, including eight former frontbenchers. Ex-cabinet minister Nicky Morgan, among Conservatives who refused to budge, said: "Tonight Parliament took control of the EU Withdrawal process." | |
| Stephen Hammond, another former minister, said he had voted against the Government with "a heavy heart" and said he thought the Government could have found a way out of the impasse had it been "swifter of foot" - he was later sacked from his Conservative party post. | |
| Anna Soubry MP also said: "Nobody takes any pleasure in the Government losing a vote." | |
| As pressure increased on the Government earlier in the day, reports emerged that one Conservative MP thinking of rebelling had been reduced to tears following pressure from her party' whips, counter reports circulated that MPs had been threatened with legal action if they made false claims about the whipping operation. | |
| The issue flared at Prime Minister's Questions as Ms May rebuffed requests by rebels to accept their proposals for giving Parliament a meaningful vote. Tensions later boiled over in the Commons as Conservative MPs clashed on their own benches. | |
| But it was in the main session that Mr Grieve told the Commons of his grave concerns over the potential for Ms May's flagship Brexit legislation to become a "very worrying tool of executive power". | |
| He noted it would be the second time he has rebelled in his 20-and-a-half years as an MP, and said the Bill must be changed to require any final Brexit deal to be approved by a separate Act before it could be implemented. | |
| His amendment sought to change clause nine of the Bill, which provides the Government with the power to use secondary legislation to implement any Brexit deal - which would require less scrutiny from MPs. | |
| Mr Raab made a last-ditch attempt to appease the would-be rebels but faced shouts of "too late" from some on his side. | Mr Raab made a last-ditch attempt to appease the would-be rebels but faced shouts of "too late" from some on his side. |
| He told MPs: "Having taken advice, and in particular having listened very carefully to the contributions by [Mr Grieve and Sir Oliver Letwin], the Government is willing - reflecting the mood of the House - to return at report stage with an amendment on the face of the Bill, making clear the undertaking and assurance that I gave in my speech that statutory instruments under clause nine will not enter into force until we've had a meaningful vote in Parliament." | He told MPs: "Having taken advice, and in particular having listened very carefully to the contributions by [Mr Grieve and Sir Oliver Letwin], the Government is willing - reflecting the mood of the House - to return at report stage with an amendment on the face of the Bill, making clear the undertaking and assurance that I gave in my speech that statutory instruments under clause nine will not enter into force until we've had a meaningful vote in Parliament." |
| But Mr Grieve said afterwards that the concessions were to late and had come with little explanation. | |
| As Mrs May prepared to travel to a Brussels summit on Thursday where European Union leaders are expected to rubber-stamp Brexit negotiations moving on to trade, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "This defeat is a humiliating loss of authority for the Government on the eve of the European Council meeting. | |
| "Labour has made the case since the referendum for a meaningful vote in Parliament on the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. | |
| "Theresa May has resisted democratic accountability. Her refusal to listen means she will now have to accept Parliament taking back control." |