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| Theresa May accused of trying to block 'meaningful vote' on Brexit deal won by MPs | Theresa May accused of trying to block 'meaningful vote' on Brexit deal won by MPs |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Theresa May has been accused of planning to thwart the “meaningful vote” on the Brexit deal won by MPs last week, after repeatedly refusing to stand by the commitment. | |
| The Prime Minister failed - five times – to guarantee the vote would be on a Bill, allowing it to be amended, or for her to be sent back to Brussels to seek better terms if her deal is rejected. | The Prime Minister failed - five times – to guarantee the vote would be on a Bill, allowing it to be amended, or for her to be sent back to Brussels to seek better terms if her deal is rejected. |
| Instead, Ms May appeared to suggest it would remain what was dubbed a “take-it-or-leave-it” vote – allowing the Government to press head with Brexit, even if MPs object. | Instead, Ms May appeared to suggest it would remain what was dubbed a “take-it-or-leave-it” vote – allowing the Government to press head with Brexit, even if MPs object. |
| Asked, by Labour MP Yvette Cooper, to confirm there would be a “vote on a statute” – on legislation – she said only that there would be an “opportunity to vote on the deal”. | Asked, by Labour MP Yvette Cooper, to confirm there would be a “vote on a statute” – on legislation – she said only that there would be an “opportunity to vote on the deal”. |
| The choice of words immediately provoked suspicions that the Government will seek to strike out the “meaningful vote”, at a later stage of the EU Withdrawal Bill next month. | The choice of words immediately provoked suspicions that the Government will seek to strike out the “meaningful vote”, at a later stage of the EU Withdrawal Bill next month. |
| In the Commons, Dominic Grieve – the former Tory Attorney General, who led last week’s revolt – warned ministers that “kicking hornets’ nests is not a very good idea”. | |
| Ms Cooper told The Independent: “The Prime Minister wriggled out of giving a straight answer and appears also to be trying to wriggle out of Amendment 7. That's not on. | |
| “The Prime Minister still obviously doesn't want the statute until after the deal has been ratified. She cannot keep trying to concentrate power in ministers hands in this way.” | |
| Fellow Labour MP Alison McGovern, supporter of the pro-EU Open Britain group, said: “The language of the amendment was crystal clear: Parliament must be given a real, meaningful vote on the terms of Brexit. | |
| “That means by statute, not just a rubber-stamp of whatever the Government manages to negotiate. It is not acceptable for the Prime Minister to try and ignore the democratically expressed will of our elected MPs.” | |
| And Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat, Brexit spokesman, said: “With all her muddling and obfuscation, it is quite clear that Theresa May is trying to worm her way out of a meaningful vote in Parliament on the Brexit deal.” | |
| Amendment 7 – put forward by the highly-respected Mr Grieve – was designed to stop the Government using “Henry VIII powers” to enact Brexit, bypassing MPs. | |
| It would prevent the process starting until Parliament has voted in favour of a separate Bill, which could be amended, perhaps to keep the UK in the EU single market and customs union. | It would prevent the process starting until Parliament has voted in favour of a separate Bill, which could be amended, perhaps to keep the UK in the EU single market and customs union. |
| Ms May was humbled last Wednesday, when 11 Tory MPs joined forces with Opposition parties to defeat her on the controversy, by 309 votes to 305. | Ms May was humbled last Wednesday, when 11 Tory MPs joined forces with Opposition parties to defeat her on the controversy, by 309 votes to 305. |
| But, in tense exchanges with Ms Cooper, the Prime Minister repeatedly failed to commit to a vote on a statute, as ordered by the Commons just seven days earlier. | But, in tense exchanges with Ms Cooper, the Prime Minister repeatedly failed to commit to a vote on a statute, as ordered by the Commons just seven days earlier. |
| Ms Cooper asked: “Now that Amendment 7 has been passed by Parliament, can you confirm that means there will now be a vote on a statute on the withdrawal agreement, before the withdrawal agreement is ratified?” | Ms Cooper asked: “Now that Amendment 7 has been passed by Parliament, can you confirm that means there will now be a vote on a statute on the withdrawal agreement, before the withdrawal agreement is ratified?” |
| Ms May, speaking to the Commons Liaison Committee, replied: “It slightly depends what you're talking about in terms of before.” | Ms May, speaking to the Commons Liaison Committee, replied: “It slightly depends what you're talking about in terms of before.” |
| And, hinting the vote would in fact be on a “yes-no” motion, she added: “There will be an opportunity for Parliament to vote on that withdrawal agreement, before that legislation is brought into place.” | And, hinting the vote would in fact be on a “yes-no” motion, she added: “There will be an opportunity for Parliament to vote on that withdrawal agreement, before that legislation is brought into place.” |
| During 45 minutes of questioning on Brexit, the Prime Minister also: | |
| * Insisted she was “confident” she could complete a free trade agreement with the EU before March 2019 – despite widespread scepticism. | |
| Hilary Benn, the Brexit committee chairman told her: “I’ve met nobody who think it will be possible to negotiate all of the details of that [trade deal] by March 2019.” | |
| * Refused to say what goods would be covered by her commitment to “full alignment with EU rules” to prevent a hard Irish border – or in what areas the UK would be free to “diverge”. | |
| Ms May said she did not believe that full alignment would be necessary, describing it as a “default default position”, at one point. | |
| * Refused to rule out cameras at the Northern Ireland border, saying: “We are not going to give a running commentary on every detail of our negotiations.” | |
| * Dismissed suggestions of increased trade barriers with either the EU, or the countries with which the EU has trade agreements – suggesting those latter deals could be “rolled over”. | |
| * Denied the UK will be forced to leave Europol and EU arrest warrant – as Brussels has argued – claiming the issue was “part of the negotiations”. | |
| * Denied she was losing out in the negotiations, by “begging” for a transitional deal, telling the committee: “I haven't begged the European Union for two more years.” | |
| Earlier, at Prime Minister’s Questions, she conceded Brexit could be delayed until after March 2019 – but insisted it would only be “in exceptional circumstances for the shortest possible time”. | |
| Ms May confirmed the Government would support an amendment, allowing MPs to put back the exit date if the Brexit negotiations run into trouble. | |
| But she tried to head off unease on the Tory benches by insisting: “We're very clear we will be leaving the EU on March 29 2019 at 11pm." | |
| Her comments came as the European Commission said it wanted the planned Brexit transition period to end no later than 31 December 2020. | |
| “The transitional arrangements should apply as from the date of entry into force of the Withdrawal Agreement and should not last beyond 31 December 2020,” its latest negotiating directives said. | |
| The deadline coincides with the end of the EU’s seven-year budget period – but appears earlier than the Prime Minister’s asked for transition of “around two years”. |