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Brexit vote: May faces historic defeat as deal's fate looms – Politics live Brexit vote: May faces historic defeat as deal's fate looms – Politics live
(35 minutes later)
The size of the government victory on the John Baron amendment (see 7.24pm) should not be read as an indication that only 24 MPs are worried about the backstop.
Instead, it is probably better to view it a sign that many MPs were unhappy with Baron for pushing his amendment to a vote when there seems to be a clear desire in the house to get on with the vote on the main motion.
MPs are now voting on the main motion.
For the record, this is what it says.
That this House approves for the purposes of section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the negotiated withdrawal agreement laid before the House on Monday 26 November 2018 with the title ‘Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community’ and the framework for the future relationship laid before the House on Monday 26 November 2018 with the title ‘Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom’.
MPs have voted down the John Baron amendment saying the UK should have a unilateral right to terminate the backstop by 600 votes to 24 – a majority of 576.
Here is a picture of the Labour MP Tulip Siddiq voting in a wheelchair. She has postponed giving birth by caesarian section to vote.
Tulip Siddiq, who delayed her caesarean section so she could vote tonight, is in her wheelchair in the Commons pic.twitter.com/Das9a1XMxy
The most significant thing Theresa May said in her speech was what she said to Edward Leigh. (See 6.52pm.) This is what she told him when he asked if she would be supporting his amendment, which would set a deadline for the backstop. (See 2.47pm.)
The government isn’t able to to accept the amendment that has been selected tonight, because we have a different opinion and a different interpretation of the Vienna convention. But I note that my right honourable friend has put down alternative proposals in relation to this issue. The government is willing to look at creative solutions and it will be happy to carry on working with [Leigh] in relation to that particular issue.
By “alternative proposals”, May was referring to Leigh’s amendment r on the order paper (pdf), which has not been called. I won’t post it in full here, because it is very long, but you can read it on the order paper.
Jeremy Corbyn is not the biggest fan of the Fleet Street press, but another consequence of his decision to pull his votes, and accelerating the voting process tonight, is that it will be a lot easier for London newspapers to get stories about the result of the main vote into their first editions.
May has finished.
John Bercow invites Jeremy Corbyn to move his amendment. He does not move it.
He turns to Ian Blackford. He also decides not to move his amendment.
He turns to Edward Leigh. Leigh says, in the light of the positive response he got from May (see 6.52pm), he will not move it.
He turns to John Baron and invites him to press his amendment. Baron says he does want a vote. Bercow takes the vote by acclamation (asking MPs to cry “aye” and “no”.) At first he says the noes have it. But Baron and his supporters persist, and Bercow calls a division.
MPs are now voting on the Baron amendment.
Labour, the SNP and Edward Leigh have all pulled their amendments – meaning voting tonight will be speeded up. The main vote will now come at 7.15pm, with the result at about 7.30pm. This will save us all 45 minutes, and will have no effect on the overall result.
Corbyn may have decided to pull his vote perhaps because he realises there will be a lot more interest in what happens next.
May says MPs are there to serve the people who queued up to vote in the referendum and who put their faith in politicians.
She says they have a sacred right to see MPs act in their best interests. She says, with a solemn heart, MPs must discharge their responsibilities.
May says a vote against her deal is a vote for “uncertainty, division and the very real risk of no deal”.May says a vote against her deal is a vote for “uncertainty, division and the very real risk of no deal”.
The SNP’s Ian Blackford intervenes. He says all the studies show Brexit will make the UK poorer. Will the government extend article 50 and give the people a choice?The SNP’s Ian Blackford intervenes. He says all the studies show Brexit will make the UK poorer. Will the government extend article 50 and give the people a choice?
May says MPs were clear that the result of the referendum would be respected. May says MPs were clear that the result of the referendum would be respected. She repeats the line about a vote against the deal being a vote for “uncertainty, division and the very real risk of no deal”.
She repeats the line about a vote against the deal being a vote for “uncertainty, division and the very real risk of no deal”. May says Corbyn’s speech was like his whole approach to Brexit, “long on critcism, short on coherence”. She mocks the idea that he would be able to get a renegotiation in weeks.
May says Corbyn’s speech was like his whole approach to Brexit, “long on critcism, short on coherence”. She says that in its 2017 election manifesto, Labour said free movement would end. Yet at the weekend, Corbyn said he was not against free movement. She says he is against no deal. But he is also against the backstop, without which there is no deal, she says.
She mocks the idea that he would be able to get a renegotiation in weeks.
She says that in the 2017 election manifesto Labour said free movement would end. Yet at the weekend Corbyn said he was not against free movement.
She says he is against no deal. But he is also against the backstop, without which there is no deal, she says.
She says Corbyn has pursued a cynical course. He has forfeited the right to demand loyalty from Labour MPs who take a more pragmatic view.She says Corbyn has pursued a cynical course. He has forfeited the right to demand loyalty from Labour MPs who take a more pragmatic view.
She says she hopes that MPs opposed to no deal, whose constituents rely on manufacturing jobs, should think hard about rejecting her deal.She says she hopes that MPs opposed to no deal, whose constituents rely on manufacturing jobs, should think hard about rejecting her deal.
May appeals to Labour MPs to abandon their loyalty to Corbyn and back her deal for the sake of their constituents.May appeals to Labour MPs to abandon their loyalty to Corbyn and back her deal for the sake of their constituents.
Sir Edward Leigh intervenes. He says MPs are worried about the backstop. Will the government support his amendment?
May says the government is not able to support this amendment. But she praises Leigh for the work he has done on this issue and says the government is willing to look at alternative, “creative solutions” to this problem. She suggests a second Leigh amendment on the order paper, which is not being put to a vote tonight (amendment r) could provide a guide to the way forward.
May says, having rejected all the other options, only one remains: voting for this deal. She says if the UK leaves with this deal, it can build a better future.
She says as PM she would not recommend a course of action not in the country’s best interest.
May goes on:
The government will work harder at taking parliament with us.
This provokes loud jeering.
In the next phase of the talks, it will work with parliament on its plans.
May says some people think that, by voting down this deal, they can get the government to go back to Brussels to get a better one. But the EU is not going to reopen talks, she says.
May refers to Corbyn’s call for a general election. But this is about what is best for the country, not what is best for Labour. And she says that, after an election, the choices facing the country would remain the same.
She says people could show their support for a second referendum in the 2017 general election by voting Lib Dem. But only 7% of people did.
May says the Commons voted to give the public the right to decide if the UK stayed in the EU. Four hundred and 30 current MPs voted to hold that referendum; only 32 voted against.
The turnout in the referendum was high, and the result was clear, she says. And then 436 MPs voted to trigger article 50. Only 85 MPs voted against, she says.
She says MPs have a duty to deliver on the democratic wishes of the British people.
A second referendum would create further disunity. There would be no agreement on the question, let alone on the answer, she says.
And she rejects a no-deal. There would be no implementation period, with no reciprocal protection for the rights of citizens.
No-deal would mean no security partnership with the EU.
She says her deal provides the basis for a long-term economic partnership with the EU. It would be more ambitious than any other the EU has. A no-deal Brexit would put that at risk.
She says, while the UK could manage with a no-deal Brexit, it would be wrong to describe this as the best outcome.
Theresa May stands up, to loud and sustained applause from Conservatives.
(Note to readers unfamiliar with the loyalty of British parliamentarians: this does not mean she is going to win the vote.)
Corbyn says under this government more people are living in poverty. Some Tories seem to protest, presumably because Corbyn is moving off the topic of Brexit, but he pushes back, saying they should not respond like that to half a million more children being in poverty.
We need to keep in mind that the vast majority of people in our country don’t think of themselves remainers or leavers. Whether they voted leave or remain two and a half years ago, they are concerned about their future.
So Mr Speaker, I hope tonight that this house votes down this deal and then we move to a general election.
Corbyn says a general election would give a new government a mandate to break the deadlock in the Brexit talks.
Corbyn has a message for the EU.
The overwhelming majority of this house voted to respect the result of the referendum, and therefore to trigger article 50.
So I say this to our negotiating partners in the EU: if parliament votes down this deal, then reopening negotiations should not, and cannot, be ruled out.
Corbyn says the EU should agree to reopen Brexit talks if MPs vote down Theresa May’s deal.
Corbyn say many Tories will vote with Labour against the deal. And he is glad a majority of MPs are against a no-deal Brexit.
But it is not enough for this house to vote against the deal before us and against no-deal. We also have to be for something.
So, Mr Speaker, in the coming days it is vital that this house has the opportunity to debate and vote on the way forward, to consider all the options available.
Corbyn says there is no clarity about the future in the future partnership document.
The former Brexit secretary – one of the former Brexit secretaries – promised a “detailed”, “precise” and “substantive” document. The government spectacularly failed to deliver it.
So I confirm that Labour will vote against this deal tonight because it is a bad deal for the country.