This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46584654

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
MPs may have to decide on Brexit options, says Fox Brexit: What happens next may have to be put to MPs' vote - Fox
(about 1 hour later)
If the PM's Brexit deal cannot get MPs' backing Parliament "will have to decide on the alternatives", Liam Fox said. If Theresa May's Brexit deal isn't passed by MPs, then Parliament might have to decide what to do next, Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said.
The cabinet Brexiteer said if there was no change on the backstop issue "it's unlikely to pass through Parliament". The senior Brexiteer said the PM's deal was unlikely to pass through Parliament unless the backstop issue was resolved.
He said another referendum was unlikely but did not rule out MPs getting a "free vote" on different ways forward. He said one option could be a "free vote" for MPs.
Theresa May has accused the former Labour PM Tony Blair of undermining Brexit negotiations by calling for another referendum. One option being widely suggested is another referendum - but Mr Fox told the Andrew Marr Show this was unlikely and would not "heal division".
She met EU leaders on Thursday - after postponing a Commons vote on the withdrawal deal she has negotiated with the EU, fearing its heavy defeat. Other options backed by different groups of MPs include leaving without a deal, another referendum, or Norway or Canada-style alternative deals.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds has also suggested "flushing out" the levels of Parliamentary support for different Brexit options.
But he told BBC Radio5Live's Pienaar's Politics a straightforward count of who has spoken for or against different options would reveal there was not a majority for any of them.
And Lib Dem MP Tom Brake, who is part of the anti-Brexit "Best for Britain" campaign, said: "When even Dr Fox does not rule out free votes and encourages the idea of indicative votes in Parliament, the Brexit project is clearly in jeopardy."
On the possibility of another referendum, Mr Fox said one could result in a narrow Remain win on a lower turnout, in which case, "People like me will be immediately demanding that it's best of three - where does that end up?"
It comes after Theresa May accused former Labour PM Tony Blair of undermining Brexit negotiations by calling for another referendum amid continuing calls for one to be held to solve the impasse over the UK's exit from the European Union.
Mrs May met EU leaders on Thursday - after postponing a Commons vote on the withdrawal deal she has negotiated, fearing its heavy defeat.
The government says the Commons vote will go ahead in January, as talks continue with the EU on the issue of the Irish border "backstop".The government says the Commons vote will go ahead in January, as talks continue with the EU on the issue of the Irish border "backstop".
The backstop is an "insurance policy" in the withdrawal deal to prevent the return of a hard border with Northern Ireland if no trade deal is reached - but many of Mrs May's MPs say they cannot support it, arguing it would keep the UK tied to EU rules indefinitely and curb its ability to strike trade deals.The backstop is an "insurance policy" in the withdrawal deal to prevent the return of a hard border with Northern Ireland if no trade deal is reached - but many of Mrs May's MPs say they cannot support it, arguing it would keep the UK tied to EU rules indefinitely and curb its ability to strike trade deals.
EU leaders have said the deal is "not open for renegotiation" - but that there could be some further clarification.EU leaders have said the deal is "not open for renegotiation" - but that there could be some further clarification.
International Trade Secretary Mr Fox told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that talks would continue with Brussels over Christmas and the New Year about how the backstop could be operated "in a way that is acceptable to both sides". Mr Fox said talks would continue over Christmas and the New Year about how the backstop could work "in a way that is acceptable to both sides".
"Clearly if there is no reflection of the anxieties that MPs have had, of potentially being locked in to the backstop without any choice, it's unlikely to pass through Parliament." On Saturday, former minister Jo Johnson accused Mrs May of delaying the vote by MPs as a way of "running down the clock", effectively forcing MPs to decide between backing her deal and exiting the EU with no deal since time would have run out.
Mr Fox said it was "clear" that the EU understood the problem, and it was now a question of finding a "mechanism" that would remove those concerns, without which, he suggested it would not be worth putting it to a Commons vote "knowing it would be rejected". Meanwhile, Labour frontbencher Andrew Gwynne told the BBC the party would be using "parliamentary tactics" to try to bring the MPs' "meaningful vote" on the deal forward to this week.
If the deal could not get through the Commons, he said: "Parliament would have to decide on the alternatives." The Labour leadership is under pressure from other opposition parties to call for a vote of no confidence in the government.
Other options backed by different groups of MPs include leaving without a deal, another referendum, or Norway or Canada-style alternative deals.
Mr Fox said there were problems with another referendum - including that it would "perpetuate division in the country" and that Parliament had pledged to "honour" the result of the 2016 referendum. And if the close result were to be reversed and Remain won, on a lower turnout, he added: "People like me will be immediately demanding that it's best of three - where does that end up?"
Asked about the potential for MPs to get a "free vote" - where MPs are not directed by their parties - he said: "That's not something we have considered. I have to say, personally, I wouldn't have a huge problem with Parliament as a whole having a say on what the options were."
Education Secretary Damian Hinds also suggested "flushing out" the levels of Parliamentary support for different Brexit options on BBC Radio5Live's Pienaar's Politics.
"There's different ways you could do it. I actually think that on straightforward count that you could make now of who has spoken in favour of what and who has spoken against what. It is clear that there is not a majority for any of these options."
But Lib Dem MP Tom Brake, who is part of the anti-Brexit "Best for Britain" campaign, said: "When even Dr Fox does not rule out free votes and encourages the idea of indicative votes in Parliament, the Brexit project is clearly in jeopardy."
Meanwhile, Labour frontbencher Andrew Gwynne told the BBC the party would be using "parliamentary tactics" to try to bring the MPs' "meaningful vote" on the deal forward to this week. The Labour leadership is under pressure from other opposition parties to call for a vote of no confidence in the government.
But Mr Gwynne said: "We can't move to the next stage until Parliament has decided whether or not to back the prime minister's deal."But Mr Gwynne said: "We can't move to the next stage until Parliament has decided whether or not to back the prime minister's deal."
Asked whether his party would campaign for Brexit under a Labour deal if there were to be another referendum on the issue, he said: "Let's wait and see. These things are moving very quickly.Asked whether his party would campaign for Brexit under a Labour deal if there were to be another referendum on the issue, he said: "Let's wait and see. These things are moving very quickly.
"We are a democratic party and we will put our decision to the party members in a democratic way before we decide what the next steps are.""We are a democratic party and we will put our decision to the party members in a democratic way before we decide what the next steps are."
On Thursday about 10 Labour MPs met David Lidington - who is Mrs May's de facto second-in-command - to argue for another public vote.On Thursday about 10 Labour MPs met David Lidington - who is Mrs May's de facto second-in-command - to argue for another public vote.
Sources close to Mr Lidington said it was "pretty standard stuff" and he was not "planning for or advocating a second referendum".Sources close to Mr Lidington said it was "pretty standard stuff" and he was not "planning for or advocating a second referendum".
Labour's official position is to argue for a general election, if Mrs May's deal cannot get through the Commons, but only if that is not possible to keep all options open, including another referendum. Labour's official position is to argue for a general election if Mrs May's deal cannot get through the Commons but to keep all options open if that doesn't happen - including another referendum.