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Brexit: MPs vote on indicative votes as May hints she might reject what Commons chooses – live news MPs back indicative votes by majority of 27 to take control of Brexit process – live news
(31 minutes later)
MPs have voted down the Beckett amendment by 314 votes to 311 - a majority of three.
And here is the full list of MPs who voted against Letwin.
They include eight Labour MPs.
Thirty Conservative MPs voted for the Letwin amendment.
Here is the full list.
The full list of MPs who voted for Letwin is here.
Here is Graeme Cowie, a Commons library clerk specialising in Brexit, on the Beckett amendment.
Reminder of the Beckett amendment, which attracted much less attention than the Letwin amendment, but which might be just as important on the question of a long extension “keeping options open” for Parliament if it wants to do something that takes longer than to 22 May for a deal https://t.co/wgyFIpNb1x
As well as Richard Harrington, the Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt and the health minister Steve Brine have also resigned because they voted for the Letwin amendment, government sources have confirmed.
MPs are now voting on Dame Margaret Beckett’s amendment.
Here is the full text.
At end, add “and orders that, in the event that the UK comes within seven calendar days of leaving the European Union without a deal, the government must make arrangements within two sitting days, or if this house has been adjourned for more than four days to arrange for the House to be recalled under standing order no. 13 (Earlier meeting of the House in certain circumstances) for this purpose, for a minister of the crown to move a motion on whether this house approves the UK leaving the EU without a deal and on whether the UK government should be required to request an extension of the period in article 50(3) of the treaty on European Union in order to avoid a no-deal Brexit and to give time for parliament to determine a different approach.”
MPs has backed the Letwin amendment by 329 votes to 302 - a majority of 27. That is a much bigger margin of victory than many people were expecting.
Here is Harrington’s resignation letter.
This evening I wrote to the PM to offer her my resignation pic.twitter.com/Z0QU5lbeJ1
According to Labour’s Mary Creagh, the Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, another pro-European, is also voting for the Letwin amendment.
BEIS Minister Richard Harrington has resigned. Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt also voting with us for Oliver Letwin indicative votes amendment.
The government has confirmed that Richard Harrington has resigned as business minister. He will be voting for the amendment.
Confirmed: Business minister Richard Harrington has resigned from Government over Brexit indicative votes
Harrington has been on the verge of leaving the government for some weeks now. Recently he effectively challenged the PM to sack him, as he praised the Airbus boss for describing the government’s handling of Brexit as a “disgrace”.
Minister backs Airbus Brexit remarks and dares May to sack him
Here is the text of the Letwin amendment.Here is the text of the Letwin amendment.
At end, add “and, given the need for the house to debate and vote on alternative ways forward, with a view to the government putting forward a plan for the house to debate and vote on, orders that –At end, add “and, given the need for the house to debate and vote on alternative ways forward, with a view to the government putting forward a plan for the house to debate and vote on, orders that –
(a) Standing order no. 14(1) (which provides that government business shall have precedence at every sitting save as provided in that order) shall not apply on Wednesday 27 March;(a) Standing order no. 14(1) (which provides that government business shall have precedence at every sitting save as provided in that order) shall not apply on Wednesday 27 March;
(b) precedence on that day shall be given to a motion relating to the business of the house in connection with matters relating to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union other than any business of the house motion relating to the consideration by the house of a motion under Section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and then to motions relating to that withdrawal and the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the European Union other than any motion moved under Section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018;(b) precedence on that day shall be given to a motion relating to the business of the house in connection with matters relating to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union other than any business of the house motion relating to the consideration by the house of a motion under Section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and then to motions relating to that withdrawal and the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the European Union other than any motion moved under Section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018;
(c) if more than one motion related to the business of the house is tabled, the speaker shall decide which motion shall have precedence;(c) if more than one motion related to the business of the house is tabled, the speaker shall decide which motion shall have precedence;
d) the speaker shall interrupt proceedings on any business before the business of the house motion having precedence at 2.00 pm on Wednesday 27 March and call a member to move that motion;d) the speaker shall interrupt proceedings on any business before the business of the house motion having precedence at 2.00 pm on Wednesday 27 March and call a member to move that motion;
(e) debate on that motion may continue until 3.00 pm on Wednesday 27 March at which time the speaker shall put the questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the motion including the questions on amendments selected by the speaker which may then be moved;(e) debate on that motion may continue until 3.00 pm on Wednesday 27 March at which time the speaker shall put the questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the motion including the questions on amendments selected by the speaker which may then be moved;
(f) when those proceedings have been concluded, the speaker shall call a member to move one of the other motions having precedence;(f) when those proceedings have been concluded, the speaker shall call a member to move one of the other motions having precedence;
(g) any proceedings interrupted or superseded by this order or an order arising from the business of the house motion may be resumed or (as the case may be) entered upon and proceeded with after the moment of interruption on Wednesday 27 March.”(g) any proceedings interrupted or superseded by this order or an order arising from the business of the house motion may be resumed or (as the case may be) entered upon and proceeded with after the moment of interruption on Wednesday 27 March.”
The debate is over.
Labour decides not to move its amendment.
That means MPs go straight on to the Letwin amendment, which is being voted on now.
This means, if the government does get defeated on Letwin, the result will get onto the 10 o’clock news.
Richard Harrington, the pro-European business minister, has resigned, the BBC says.
Richard Harrington, business minister, has resigned according to govt source
Barclay says, if MPs do not pass the withdrawal agreement this week, they risk a longer article 50 extension.
But, if MPs vote for the deal, the UK can be out of the EU within weeks, he says.
Ken Clarke, the pro-European, asks Barclay when the government will schedule its own indicative votes process.
Barclay says these questions were addressed at the start of the debate.
He says Labour criticised the government for not committing to definitely accepting the results of the indicative votes process. But Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would not automatically accept the results either, he says.
Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, is winding up for the government now.
He says the central question at stake is, who controls the order paper?
He says the government has promised its own version of indicative votes.
The SNP’s Stephen Gethins intervenes. Will Barclay be voting for the case he is making in his speech? (Two weeks ago Barclay defended the government motion saying article 50 should be extended at the despatch box, and then voted against it in a free vote.)
Barclay says defends his speech in the debate two weeks ago, saying he criticised amendments that he voted against.
Sir Oliver Letwin says, if the government objects to the amendment coming from a backbencher, it could adopt it itself.
Barclay says David Lidington addressed this argument earlier.
Chapman says indicative votes should not include unacceptable options, like no deal, or “unicorns”, like the Brady amendment.
Jenny Chapman, the shadow Brexit minister, is now winding up for the opposition.
She says different MPs have different views on how indicative votes could be carried out.
She says the Labour amendment and the Letwin amendment both avoid being prescriptive on this point.
From Sky’s Lewis Goodall
Could easily imagine Letwin failing tonight but Beckett passing. Then next week becomes the week before last all over again. House votes against no deal, for extension of a50 and the Brexit merry go round of hell goes on.
The SNP’s Tommy Sheppard is speaking now. He says ministers complain that the Letwin amendment would alter the balance of power between the executive and the legislature. That is exactly what it should be passed, he says.
In the debate Owen Smith is speaking now. He says he made the case for a second referendum when he challenged Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership unsuccessfully in 2016.
Speaking in favour of the Lewin amendment, he says he is worried that, if there are indicative votes, the government will try to “bamboozle” MPs by offering them a whole smorgasbord of options, including a second referendum.
But that would be “tricksy” and “deceitful”, he says, because a second referendum is a process matter, not an eventual outcome. He says he hopes the speaker would not allow this.