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| Brexit: Three ministers resign to join 29-strong Tory revolt on indicative votes – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Evening everyone, I’m taking over from my colleague Andrew Sparrow and will be rounding up some reactions to this zinger of a night in the Commons. | |
| Insults were hurled, birthday songs were sung and a whole host of things did not quite go as planned - in particular for Ed Vaizey MP, who apparently got his amendments confused. | |
| Turns out that 29 Tory MPs voted for the Letwin amendment - @edvaizey did too but also accidentally voted against it (he thought he was voting on Labour amendment). Woops! He backed main motion as amended to make up for it. At least they didn't lose by one vote... | |
| If Sir Bill Cash is to be believed, MPs have tonight voted to begin a process that will lead to a “constitutional revolution”. (See 10.59am.) It is impossible to predict quite where this will end up, but Cash’s claim seem hyperbolic. | |
| MPs have voted to have more votes on Brexit. Wednesday’s will be the ninth big Brexit debate this year, and the first where supposedly the Commons is “taking back control”. Sir Oliver Letwin wants MPs to vote on paper, not in the division lobbies, on a wide range of Brexit options. But there are many reasons why this might not have quite the dramatic impact Cash fears. Here are six. | |
| 1) MPs have not yet been promised free votes on all, or even some, of the measures, but unless that happens the voting could end up just being a re-run of what has happened in normal votes on Brexit amendments. Some government ministers have said there is no point having indicative votes without giving MPs a free vote, but Theresa May sounds less keen. Speaking for Labour, Sir Keir Starmer implied this afternoon that Labour MPs would get free votes on some propositions but not others. | |
| 2) There is no guarantee yet that there will be a majority for any plan - although Letwin may opt for a voting system that eliminates unpopular options until one is left as the winner. | |
| 3) The government would not be obliged to accept any plan deemed most popular with MPs, and in fact May strongly hinted this afternoon that she would reject what many expect might emerge as the most widely-supported idea - staying in a customs union with the EU. (See 5.32pm.) Motions passed by the Commons are not binding on the government, and it is very hard for the legislature to force a PM to do something she does not want to do. | |
| 4) MPs may well use Wednesday’s debate to pass another motion freeing up more time for indicative votes at a later stage. In other words, the process could become self-perpetuating. This would worry ministers much more, particularly if it led to MPs trying to free up time to allow the Commons to pass legislation. But that could lead to ministers seeking a way of trying to retaliate to sabotage the Letwin process. | |
| 5) It is not obvious that all options will be on the ballot anyway. Interestingly one of the most high-profile supporters of a second referendum, Owen Smith, said in the debate this plan should be excluded at this stage. (See 9.19pm.) | |
| 6) The prospect of MPs trying to push May towards a softer Brexit could possibly help her, by persuading Tory Brexiters to back her plan in a vote on Thursday to prevent Brexit being watered down. There is no guarantee that this will happen, but it is not impossible. | |
| That’s all from me for tonight. | |
| My colleague Jedidaja Otte is now taking over. | |
| These are from Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Government. | These are from Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Government. |
| I can see that for Government tonight’s vote represents uncomfortable loss of control over Commons time but it’s NOT ACTUALLY UNCOMMON for other groups of MPs to determine what is on the order paper (on opposition days, backbench business days, estimates days)... https://t.co/YTYnh4phkC | I can see that for Government tonight’s vote represents uncomfortable loss of control over Commons time but it’s NOT ACTUALLY UNCOMMON for other groups of MPs to determine what is on the order paper (on opposition days, backbench business days, estimates days)... https://t.co/YTYnh4phkC |
| ... what is unusual here is that the Government has lost control of the scheduling of ON WHICH DAY non-govt members get to choose the business. In the latter stages of Brexit they have been carefully avoiding scheduling days when unwelcome business can be scheduled... | ... what is unusual here is that the Government has lost control of the scheduling of ON WHICH DAY non-govt members get to choose the business. In the latter stages of Brexit they have been carefully avoiding scheduling days when unwelcome business can be scheduled... |
| ... at the moment the motions that will be scheduled on Wed will not be binding on the government - and the PM clearly indicated earlier today that she would not consider herself bound by them. In this the government is continuing the approach it has taken to opposition days. | ... at the moment the motions that will be scheduled on Wed will not be binding on the government - and the PM clearly indicated earlier today that she would not consider herself bound by them. In this the government is continuing the approach it has taken to opposition days. |
| Here is the full text of what Jeremy Corbyn said in his point of order a moment ago. | Here is the full text of what Jeremy Corbyn said in his point of order a moment ago. |
| Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate the house for taking control. | Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate the house for taking control. |
| The government’s approach has been an abject failure and this house must now find a solution. | The government’s approach has been an abject failure and this house must now find a solution. |
| So I pay tribute to [Oliver Letwin and Hilary Benn] and others, who have worked to achieve tonight’s result. | So I pay tribute to [Oliver Letwin and Hilary Benn] and others, who have worked to achieve tonight’s result. |
| The government must take this process seriously. We do not know what the house will decide on Wednesday. But I know there are many members of this house who have been working for alternative solutions, and we must debate those to find a consensus. | The government must take this process seriously. We do not know what the house will decide on Wednesday. But I know there are many members of this house who have been working for alternative solutions, and we must debate those to find a consensus. |
| And this house must also consider whether any deal should be put to the people for a confirmatory vote. | And this house must also consider whether any deal should be put to the people for a confirmatory vote. |
| Where this government has failed, this house must, and I believe will, succeed. | Where this government has failed, this house must, and I believe will, succeed. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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? | 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. | 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. | 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? | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 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 | 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: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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 | 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. | MPs are now voting on the main motion, as amended. |
| Essentially this is a rerun of the vote on Letwin. | 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. |