This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
MPs back indicative votes by majority of 27 to take control of Brexit process – live news
Brexit: Three ministers resign to join 30-strong Tory revolt on indicative votes – live news
(32 minutes later)
The SNP’s Angus MacNeil asks, if the Commons cannot reach a decision on Wednesday, whether more time will be allowed for the indicative votes process.
Bercow urges him to take things one step at a time.
The Tory Brexiter Sir Bill Cash says that what has been agreed by the Commons is “a constitutional revolution” and that the house will will live to regret it.
Sir Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, asks Bercow if he will set up a committee to ensure that the indicative votes process runs smoothly on Wednesday.
Bercow says Oliver Letwin will take charge of the process, and he says he is sure Letwin will want to ensure it runs properly.
Patrick McLoughlin, the Conservative former chief whip, says Bercow recently sent a letter to MPs saying they should treat each other with respect. Was Bercow following that in what he said about Greg Hands?
Bercow says, if he caused offence, he is happy to apologise. He did not think Hands would mind, he says.
Jeremy Corbyn makes a point of order to praise the house for taking control. Where the government has failed, the house must succeed, he says.
The Tory Brexiter David Davies says Sir Oliver Letwin has now installed himself as a jobbing prime minister. How can he be held to account?
John Bercow, the speaker, tries to quell the noise. He urges the Tory MP Greg Hands to be quiet, saying Hands was once a whip, and not a very good one. That provokes even more jeering.
The main motion has now been passed by 327 votes to 300 - a majority of 27.
That just reinforces the Letwin vote, because the main motion is now basically the Letwin amendment.
Here is an Institute for Government explainer on indicative votes.
Here’s an @instituteforgov explainer in indicative votes and how they might workhttps://t.co/fOeOQZ3eUu pic.twitter.com/84VWrlEchM
The government has issued this response to the defeat on Letwin. A spokesman for the Brexit department said:
It is disappointing to see this amendment pass, as the government made a clear commitment to provide a process to find a majority in parliament for a way forward this week.
This amendment instead upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future.
While it is now up to parliament to set out next steps in respect of this amendment, the government will continue to call for realism – any options considered must be deliverable in negotiations with the EU. Parliament should take account of how long these negotiations would take, and if they’d require a longer extension which would mean holding European parliamentary elections.
From ITV’s Robert Peston
Frankly there is no conspicuous logic to MPs backing Letwin and not Beckett. But that is the Brexit Commons for you
MPs are now voting on the main motion, as amended.
Essentially this is a rerun of the vote on Letwin.
MPs have voted down the Beckett amendment by 314 votes to 311 - a majority of three.
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.
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;
(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;
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;
(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.”
