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Brexit: May suffers fresh defeat as MPs rule out no deal by majority of four – Politics live Brexit: MPs told to pass deal by next Wednesday or face long article 50 extension - Politics live
(about 1 hour later)
From the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg This is from David Mundell, the Scottish secretary, explaining why he was one of the 11 ministers who abstained in the final vote (see 8.49am), instead of voting against ruling out no deal for good, as Tory MPs were supposed to.
So... the main vote is now on whether UK can EVER leave the EU without a deal (because of earlier Spelman vote) - govt is now said to be trying to force its own MP s to vote against its own motion - frankly things so chaotic this could implode by mistake I’ve always opposed a no deal Brexit. The House made its view clear by agreeing the Spelman amendment, I didn’t think it was right for me to oppose that.The PM has my full support in her objective of leaving the EU with a Deal to deliver an orderly Brexit
MPs are now voting on the main motion, as amended. Here are the key figures for how MPs voted in the three votes. The full lists are here.
But this is basically a re-run of the first vote. The result is likely to be very similar although it is possible that, because some MPs may not have expected Spelman to win first time round, they might vote differently now. The Spelman amendment
The Malthouse compromise amendment has been defeated by 374 votes to 164 - a majority of 210. Tory MPs were whipped to vote against. But nine of them backed it: Guto Bebb, Ken Clarke, Justine Greening, Dominic Grieve, Sam Gyimah, Phillip Lee, Antoinette Sandbach, Caroline Spelman and Ed Vaizey.
This is from Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt. And Labour MPs were whipped to vote for it. But six of them voted against: Ronnie Campbell, Stephen Hepburn, Kate Hoey, John Mann, Dennis Skinner and Graham Stringer.
Govt now facing ministerial resignation alert. Govt planning to whip against their no deal motion because it has now been amended to rule out no deal in all circumstances. If govt whips against that ministers say they will resign The Green amendment (or the Malthouse compromise one)
After the vote on the Green amendment, we should get a vote on the main motion as amended - ie, potentially a combination of Spelman and Green. Tories had a free vote. Some 149 voted for it.
It is important to stress, of course, that the Spelman amendment passed a few minutes ago does not definitely rule out a no-deal Brexit. They were: Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty), Adam Afriyie (Windsor), Peter Aldous (Waveney), Lucy Allan (Telford), David Amess (Southend West), Stuart Andrew (Pudsey), Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden), Steve Baker (Wycombe), Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk), Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen), Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Crispin Blunt (Reigate), Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale West), Suella Braverman (Fareham), Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire), Fiona Bruce (Congleton), Robert Buckland (South Swindon), Alex Burghart (Brentwood and Ongar), Conor Burns (Bournemouth West), Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan), Colin Clark (Gordon), Simon Clarke (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland), Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds), Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal), Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe), Robert Courts (Witney), Chris Davies (Brecon and Radnorshire), David T. C. Davies (Monmouth), Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire), Philip Davies (Shipley), David Davis (Haltemprice and Howden), Michelle Donelan (Chippenham), Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire), James Duddridge (Rochford and Southend East), Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford and Woodford Green), Philip Dunne (Ludlow), Michael Ellis (Northampton North), Charlie Elphicke (Dover), George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth), Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley), David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford), Michael Fabricant (Lichfield), Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks), Mark Francois (Rayleigh and Wickford), Lucy Frazer (South East Cambridgeshire), Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest), Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham), Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park), Helen Grant (Maidstone and The Weald), James Gray (North Wiltshire), Chris Green (Bolton West), Damian Green (Ashford), Kirstene Hair (Angus), Greg Hands (Chelsea and Fulham), Rebecca Harris (Castle Point), Trudy Harrison (Copeland), Simon Hart (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire), John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings), James Heappey (Wells), Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry), Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey), Adam Holloway (Gravesham), Eddie Hughes (Walsall North), Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey), Alister Jack (Dumfries and Galloway), Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove), Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire), Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex), Andrea Jenkyns (Morley and Outwood), Robert Jenrick (Newark), Boris Johnson (Uxbridge and South Ruislip), Caroline Johnson (Sleaford and North Hykeham), Gareth Johnson (Dartford), Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough), David Jones (Clwyd West), Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham), Julian Knight (Solihull), Greg Knight (East Yorkshire), Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne), John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk), Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North), Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire), Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire), Andrew Lewer (Northampton South), Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater and West Somerset), Julia Lopez (Hornchurch and Upminster), Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke), Jonathan Lord (Woking), Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham), Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet), Rachel Maclean (Redditch), Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire), Scott Mann (North Cornwall), Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys), Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales), Esther McVey (Tatton), Mark Menzies (Fylde), Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock), Maria Miller (Basingstoke), Nigel Mills (Amber Valley), Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield), Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North), Nicky Morgan (Loughborough), Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall), Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire), Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton), Priti Patel (Witham), Owen Paterson (North Shropshire), Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead), John Penrose (Weston-super-Mare), Chris Philp (Croydon South), Dan Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich), Mark Prisk (Hertford and Stortford), Tom Pursglove (Corby), Will Quince (Colchester), Dominic Raab (Esher and Walton), Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset), Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury), Mary Robinson (Cheadle), Andrew Rosindell (Romford), Lee Rowley (North East Derbyshire), Paul Scully (Sutton and Cheam), Bob Seely (Isle of Wight), Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire), Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield), Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet and Rothwell), Henry Smith (Crawley), Royston Smith (Southampton, Itchen), Bob Stewart (Beckenham), Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South), Julian Sturdy (York Outer), Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)), Desmond Swayne (New Forest West), Hugo Swire (East Devon), Derek Thomas (St Ives), Ross Thomson (Aberdeen South), Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon), Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole), Craig Tracey (North Warwickshire), Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet), Charles Walker (Broxbourne), Ben Wallace (Wyre and Preston North), David Warburton (Somerton and Frome), Helen Whately (Faversham and Mid Kent), Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire), John Whittingdale (Maldon), Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire), William Wragg (Hazel Grove), Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon).
There are two reasons for that. Labour MPs were whipped to vote against. But four of them voted for. They were: Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley), Kate Hoey (Vauxhall), Dennis Skinner (Bolsover), Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton).
First, it is not a binding amendment. It is not legislation, and it is not a motion that gives a formal instruction to the government as “humble address” motions do. And 66 Tories voted against the amendment.
The government could choose to accept it, and treat it as binding, but it has not said yet that it will. And even if it did ... They were: Richard Bacon (South Norfolk), Guto Bebb (Aberconwy), Nick Boles (Grantham and Stamford), Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South), Steve Brine (Winchester), Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire), James Cartlidge (South Suffolk), Alex Chalk (Cheltenham), Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds), Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells), Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe), Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire), Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford), Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon), Jackie Doyle-Price (Thurrock), Mark Field (Cities of London and Westminster), Vicky Ford (Chelmsford), Kevin Foster (Torbay), Roger Gale (North Thanet), David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire), Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton), Bill Grant (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock), Justine Greening (Putney), Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield), Andrew Griffiths (Burton), Sam Gyimah (East Surrey), Luke Hall (Thornbury and Yate), Richard Harrington (Watford), Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire), Peter Heaton-Jones (North Devon), Simon Hoare (North Dorset), Philip Hollobone (Kettering), John Howell (Henley), Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire), Margot James (Stourbridge), Marcus Jones (Nuneaton), Phillip Lee (Bracknell), Oliver Letwin (West Dorset), David Lidington (Aylesbury), Alan Mak (Havant), Paul Masterton (East Renfrewshire), Johnny Mercer (Plymouth, Moor View), Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle), Anne Milton (Guildford), Damien Moore (Southport), Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot), David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale), James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis), Robert Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst), Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole), Claire Perry (Devizes), Victoria Prentis (Banbury), Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin), Douglas Ross (Moray), Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye), Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury), Chloe Smith (Norwich North), Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex), Caroline Spelman (Meriden), Rory Stewart (Penrith and The Border), Gary Streeter (South West Devon), Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood), Edward Vaizey (Wantage), Matt Warman (Boston and Skegness), Giles Watling (Clacton), Mike Wood (Dudley South).
Second, it is not within the government’s power to rule out no deal (in the terms of the motion) because it does not call for article 50 to be revoked, which would probably require separate legislation anyway. Caroline Spelman and Jack Dromey, who tabled it, intended it to signal that ministers should extend article 50 in the event of no deal being agreed. But, as Theresa May says repeatedly, that only postpones the problem. The main motion, as amended
MPs are now voting on the Green amendment (aka the Malthouse compromise one). Tory MPs were whipped to vote against. But 17 of them voted in favour.
This is what it says. They were: Guto Bebb (Aberconwy), Richard Benyon (Newbury), Nick Boles (Grantham and Stamford), Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe), Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon), George Freeman (Mid Norfolk), Justine Greening (Putney), Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield), Sam Gyimah (East Surrey), Phillip Lee (Bracknell), Oliver Letwin (West Dorset), Paul Masterton (East Renfrewshire), Sarah Newton (Truro and Falmouth), Mark Pawsey (Rugby), Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury), Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex), Edward Vaizey (Wantage).
At end, add “; notes the steps taken by the government, the EU and its member states to minimise any disruption that may occur should the UK leave the EU without an agreed withdrawal agreement and proposes that the government should build on this work as follows: And the following 11 Conservatives, who are members of the government did not vote.
1. That the government should publish the UK’s day one tariff schedules immediately; Solicitor General Robert Buckland, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, Business Secretary Greg Clark, Defence minister Tobias Ellwood, Justice Secretary David Gauke, Business minister Richard Harrington, Culture minister Margot James, Education minister Anne Milton, Scottish Secretary David Mundell, Business minister Claire Perry and Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd.
2. To allow businesses to prepare for the operation of those tariffs, that the government should seek an extension of the article 50 process to 10.59pm on 22 May 2019, at which point the UK would leave the EU; Labour MPs were whipped to vote in favour. But two of them voted against: Stephen Hepburn and Kate Hoey.
3. Thereafter, in a spirit of co-operation and in order to begin discussions on the future relationship, the government should offer a further set of mutual standstill agreements with the EU and member states for an agreed period ending no later than 30 December 2021, during which period the UK would pay an agreed sum equivalent to its net EU contributions and satisfy its other public international law obligations; and The pound just briefly hit a 22-month high against the euro, over €1.18 for the first time since May 2017.
4. The government should unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK.” Tonight’s drama in parliament has driven the pound up to a two-week high against the dollar.
Theresa May has been defeated by four votes, because MPs have backed the Spelman amendment ruling out a no-deal Brexit for good by 312 votes to 308. Sterling has just hit $1.33 for the first time since 28th February. That’s a gain of over two cents, or 1.8%, as the currency enjoys its best day of 2019.
Theresa May’s decision to allow Tories a free vote on the main motion, and on the Malthouse compromise one, is in line with a proposal she made when she was shadow leader of the Commons in 2003, the Hansard Society’s Ruth Fox has just pointed out on the BBC. As you can see, the pound’s having a volatile week - rising on Monday as Theresa May headed for talks with Jean-Claude Juncker, then plunging on Tuesday when attorney general Cox didn’t change his legal advice on the backstop.
Here's the 2003 speech by Theresa May, endorsing free votes, that @RuthFox01 just referenced | #BrexitVote https://t.co/XFSt5D48g7 Naeem Aslam of City firm Think Markets says traders are relieved that MPs voted not to accept no deal tonight. However....
Here is Yvette Cooper on why she pushed the amendment to a vote. The fact is that it is comforting to know that no deal Brexit scenario is off the table, but at the same time there is no table. This is because May’s party is in more disarray and Brexit has become a laughing matter for everyone.
Voting now for amendment a. I welcome assurances from Ministers on the Government’s intentions & will vote for the main motion against No Deal if this amendment is not passed. But think it also helpful for House to have chance to vote for a simpler, clearer motion too Here is a Guardian guide to how MPs voted on the main motion (as amended) tonight.
The Labour MP Debbie Abrahams thinks the Spelman amendment will be defeated. How did your MP vote in the March Brexit votes?
Don't think amend a will be carried.... This is from my colleague Dan Sabbagh, who has been at the Downing Street briefing.
If that is right, it will be because Tory MPs who voted for it in January won’t vote for it tonight – because they think it is more important for the government motion to be passed by a huge majority (which would be a snub to the hard Brexiters). Downing Street briefing just broken up. Ministers who voted against the whip tonight will be expected to resign, those who abstain *will not*.
To get that result, they have to defeat Spelman, because if Spelman were to pass, there would be no vote on the motion, which it would replace. Here is the text of the government motion being debated tomorrow.
This amendment is word-for-word the same as one passed by the Commons in January, after the first Brexit “next steps” vote. It was passed by 318 votes to 310 – a majority of eight. Tomorrow’s motion really clears things up pic.twitter.com/T2Xtvtzcfw
Here is the list of 17 Tory rebels who voted for this amendment in January: Heidi Allen (South Cambridgeshire), Guto Bebb (Aberconwy), Nick Boles (Grantham and Stamford), Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe), Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon), Justine Greening (Putney), Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield), Sam Gyimah (East Surrey), Phillip Lee (Bracknell), Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford), Oliver Letwin (West Dorset), Mark Pawsey (Rugby), Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury), Anna Soubry (Broxtowe), Caroline Spelman (Meriden), Edward Vaizey (Wantage), and Sarah Wollaston (Totnes). The division lists for tonight’s three votes should be on the Commons website here (although it has been crashing).
And there were three Labour rebels who voted against: Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow), Kate Hoey (Vauxhall), and Graham Stringer (Blackley and Broughton). This is from Alasdair de Costa at the Institute for Government showing how cabinet ministers voted on the main motion.
If the Spelman gets passed, there will be no vote on the government motion - because the amendment would replace it. Five attending members of the Cabinet did not vote on the Government's main motion: Amber Rudd, David Gauke, Greg Clark, David Mundell and Claire Perry. pic.twitter.com/5EmgA026iT
This is what the Spelman amendment says. Here is the key passage from Theresa May’s statement responding to the two defeats tonight.
Line 1, leave out from “house” to end and add “rejects the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement and a framework for the future relationship.” The motion we will table [tomorrow] will set out the fundamental choice facing this house.
John Bercow, the speaker, is putting the amendments to a vote. If the house finds a way in the coming days to support a deal, it would allow the government to seek a short limited technical extension to article 50 to provide time to pass the necessary legislation and ratify the agreement we have reached with the EU.
He says Caroline Spelman said she did not want to move her amendment, but Yvette Cooper told him that she did want to move the amendment. But let me be clear, such a short technical extension is only likely to be on offer if we have a deal in place.
Cooper stands up. She starts saying, despite what Liam Fox said in his winding-up speech ... Therefore, the house has to understand and accept that, if it is not willing to support a deal in the coming days, and as it is not willing to support leaving without a deal on 29 March, then it is suggesting that there will need to be a much longer extension to article 50. Such an extension would undoubtedly require the United Kingdom to hold European parliament elections in May 2019.
Bercow says he does not want a speech. He just wants Cooper to move the amendment, which she does. I do not think that would be the right outcome.
Fox says the Commons contracted out its decision-making to the people at the time of the referendum. The Commons is honour-bound to accept the result. He says the Lib Dems may not care about the views of the public, but he does. But the house needs to face up to the consequences of the decisions it has taken.
The British people have given parliament a clear instruction. John Bercow, the speaker, is reading out the motion for tomorrow.
It is time for us to determine who is the boss. The government motion tabled for tomorrow sets next Wednesday as the deadline for MPs to pass a Brexit deal. It says, if a deal is passed by then, the government will seek an extension of article 50 until 30 June. But if the deal is not passed by then, then the government will need a longer extension, requiring the UK to take part in European elections, the motion says.
Bercow stresses that the motion will be amendable.
This is from the BBC’s Adam Fleming.
Reaction to tonight’s vote from @EU_Commission pic.twitter.com/7lKTOpWg3H
Hilary Benn, the Labour chair of the Commons Brexit committee, says he agrees with May about the need for the Commons to show it is in favour of something. He says the government should hold indicative votes, as his committee proposes.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory Brexiter, asks the speaker to confirm that a motion of the house does not override statute law.
John Bercow, the speaker, confirms that is the case.
Jeremy Corbyn says May must work with MPs to find a solution to Brexit.
Theresa May is speaking now.
She says tonight’s vote does not change the fundamental problem; if MPs want to rule out no deal, they must vote for a deal, she says.
She says she has promised a vote on extending article 50. Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, will soon make a business statement confirming that this will happen on Thursday.
If MPs back a deal soon, the government will seek a short, technical extension of article 50.
But if MPs do not vote for a deal, and do not want a no-deal Brexit, there will have to be a longer extension. And that would require the UK to take part in the European elections.
May says, if MPs do not vote for a Brexit deal soon, she will have to seek a long article 50 extension, which would mean the UK having to take party in the European elections.
Theresa May has lost again, but this time by a much bigger margin. MPs voted by 321 to 278 in favour of the motion ruling out a no-deal Brexit – a majority of 43.