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Brexit: May tells MPs she does not have enough support to win third meaningful vote – live news
Brexit: May tells MPs she does not have enough support to win third meaningful vote – live news
(30 minutes later)
Sir Oliver Letwin intervenes. He says, if the government’s only objection to the amendment is that it is not a government one, ministers could have accepted it as a government amendment. He tells Lidington he could just offer to adopt the amendment, and hold the same debate on Wednesday, in the same way.
Lidington says he cannot offer more on that now. But Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, may be able to say more when he winds up the debate, Lidington says.
Sarah Newton, the Conservative who resigned as a minister earlier this month so she could vote to rule out a no-deal Brexit earlier this month, tells Lidington it would be easier just to accept the Letwin amendment.
Lidington says the Letwin amendment would disrupt the balance between the government and the executive.
Labour’s Wes Streeting says Lidington cannot persuade MPs not to vote for Letwin, on the grounds that something similar will be available, without being able to say when the debate will be, for how long it will last, and what will be on the order paper.
Ken Clarke says, given what Lidington has just announced, the government is promising what Letwin proposes. So why don’t they just agree to set aside Wednesday for indicative votes.
Lidington says, until the Letwin amendment is put to a vote, the government won’t know if Wednesday is available.
Lidington says, if the Letwin amendment is defeated, the government will set aside time for a debate later this week intended to allow MPs to find a way forward. Following consultation, further time might be set aside for further debates he says.
But if the Letwin amendment is carried, Wednesday will be set aside for this process, he says.
Asked if the government will allow free votes, Lidington says it is too early to say.
Vicky Ford, a Conservative, asks if the government is committing to indicative votes this week.
Lidington says, if the Letwin amendment gets defeated, the government will set aside time for a debate this week.
Labour’s Liz Kendall ask, if Letwin falls and the government holds a debate, whether the government will choose the options for debate.
Lidington says the government will not choose the options. But the government will not be silent either.
This is from Nick Boles, one of the Conservative MPs backing the Letwin amendment.
I wish I could say that we are confident of victory on the Letwin amendment without the support of Conservative frontbenchers. But that would not be true. Some of my friends have a very difficult decision to make and I don’t envy them. https://t.co/tsQEj9pvQh
Dominic Grieve, the Conservative former attorney general, says he thinks the case for revoking article 50 is getting stronger. He says he is concerned by reports that the cabinet has been influenced by what is best for the Conservative party, not what is best by the country.
Lidington says the PM has always been guided by the national interest. He says abdiing by the result of the 2016 referendum is in the national interest.
The BBC’s Norman Smith thinks we could get the third meaningful vote on Thursday.
David Lidington says Govt hopes to get commons to approve PMs deal this week. So looks like Game On for Thursday.
The SNP’s Pete Wishart describes Lidington as “the putative prime minister”. He is the second MP to joke about the weekend newspaper stories saying Lidington was being lined up as a caretaker prime minister. He could not do a worse job than May, Wishart says. He asks Lidington if he accepts revoking article 50 is an option.
Lidington says he does not accept that. He says the march and the petition show some people have a strong desire to remain. But you cannot ignore the views of the 17.4m people who voted leave, he says
David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, is now opening the Brexit debate.
David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, is now opening the Brexit debate.
It is next steps six, or NS6. If you want reminding what all the others, there is a summary here.
It is next steps six, or NS6. If you want reminding what all the others, there is a summary here.
John Bercow, the speaker, says he has selected three amendments for the Brexit debate.
John Bercow, the speaker, says he has selected three amendments for the Brexit debate.
1) Labour’s amendment. This calls on the government “to provide sufficient parliamentary time this week for this house to find a majority for a different approach”.
1) Labour’s amendment. This calls on the government “to provide sufficient parliamentary time this week for this house to find a majority for a different approach”.
2) Oliver Letwin’s amendment. This calls for Commons business on Wednesday to be set aside for a series of indicative votes. It does not specify what options will be voted on, or how the votes will take place.
2) Oliver Letwin’s amendment. This calls for Commons business on Wednesday to be set aside for a series of indicative votes. It does not specify what options will be voted on, or how the votes will take place.
3) Dame Margaret Beckett’s amendment. This says that if the UK is seven calendar days from leaving without a deal, the house should be recalled to consider a motion on whether or not MPs approve such a move.
3) Dame Margaret Beckett’s amendment. This says that if the UK is seven calendar days from leaving without a deal, the house should be recalled to consider a motion on whether or not MPs approve such a move.
Theresa May’s statement is now over. On a point of order, Labour’s Angela Eagle asks what would be the point of indicative votes given May has said she will not abide by the results.
Theresa May’s statement is now over. On a point of order, Labour’s Angela Eagle asks what would be the point of indicative votes given May has said she will not abide by the results.
John Bercow, the speaker, says that is an “extremely important point”. But he cannot rule on it now, he says.
John Bercow, the speaker, says that is an “extremely important point”. But he cannot rule on it now, he says.
Here are the main points from what Theresa May said in her opening statement, and in her responses to MPs. It hasn’t been a great success. She angered the DUP by suggesting the politicians in Northern Ireland were to blame for article 50 being extended, she disappointed MPs hoping that she was genuinely committed to indicative votes, and some of what she said about the possibility of a long Brexit delay seemed to contradict what she was saying last week.
Oh, and she also had to issue what was effectively a non-apology apology.
On the plus side, unless I missed it, no Conservative called for her to resign. Given that there were stories in yesterday’s Sunday papers claiming a Tory coup was already underway, that probably counts as an achievement.
Here are the main points.
May said she did not yet have the support to win a third meaningful vote. But she implied she was hoping that would change by the end of the week. She said:
Mr Speaker, I continue to believe that the right path forward is for the United Kingdom to leave the EU as soon as possible with a deal, now on 22nd May.
But it is with great regret that I have had to conclude that as things stand, there is still not sufficient support in the house to bring back the deal for a third meaningful vote. I continue to have discussions with colleagues across the house to build support, so that we can bring the vote forward this week, and guarantee Brexit.
May implied that she decided to delay Brexit primarily because the absence of an executive in Northern Ireland meant it was not ready for a no-deal Brexit. She said:
And I requested a short extension to the article 50 process to 30th June. I regret having to do so. I wanted to deliver Brexit on 29th March. But I am conscious of my duties as prime minister to all parts of our United Kingdom and of the damage to that union leaving without a deal could do when one part of it is without devolved government and unable therefore to prepare properly.
This is not an argument that May has made in public before. The DUP are to a large extent to blame for the fact that Northern Ireland does not have a power-sharing executive (although they claim it’s the fault of Sinn Fein) and DUP MPs like Nigel Dodds (see 4.07pm) and Sammy Wilson (see 4.32pm) responded angrily.
She claimed that passing the Letwin amendment tonight would unbalance “our democratic institutions”. She said:
The amendment in the name of [Oliver Letwin] seeks to provide for this process by taking control of the order paper. I continue to believe doing so would be an unwelcome precedent to set, which would overturn the balance of our democratic institutions. So the government will oppose this amendment this evening.
She said she was “sceptical” about whether an indicative votes process could deliver a solution to Brexit and she refused to commit to accepting any outcome indicative votes might produce. The government is committed to trying to find a consensus in parliament if May’s deal does not get passed, although it has not given details of how it will do this yet and it has generally not been referring to “indicative votes”. May said the commitment still stood. But she went on:
I must confess that I am sceptical about such a process of indicative votes.
When we have tried this kind of thing in the past, it has produced contradictory outcomes or no outcome at all. There is a further risk when it comes to Brexit, as the UK is only one half of the equation and the votes could lead to an outcome that is unnegotiable with the EU.
No government could give a blank cheque to commit to an outcome without knowing what it is.
So I cannot commit the government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this house. But I do commit to engaging constructively with this process.
She implied she would reject calls for the UK to stay in the customs union (see 4.04pm) and calls for a second referendum (4.42pm) even if MPs backed them in indicative votes.
She implied that a lengthy article 50 extension was still an option. This was a prospect she seemed to rule out last Wednesday. But today she said:
The bottom line remains, if the house does not approve the withdrawal agreement this week, and is not prepared to countenance leaving without a deal we will have to seek a longer extension. This would entail the UK having to hold European elections. And it would mean that we will not have been able to guarantee Brexit.
She also described this option as a “slow Brexit”.
She claimed in her opening statement that a no-deal Brexit would only happen if MPs vote for it. She said:
We must confront the reality of the hard choices before us.
Unless this house agrees to it, no deal will not happen.
But, when pressed on this, she refused to confirm that a no-deal Brexit would only happen if MPs voted for it (see 5pm), and she insisted she was not taking no deal off the table. (See 4.30pm.)
She sought to repair the damage done to her relations with MPs by her speech last week, in which she blamed them for blocking Brexit, by saying she respected people who disagreed with her. She said:
Mr Speaker, this is the first chance I have had to address the House since my remarks last Wednesday evening.
I expressed my frustration with our collective failure to take a decision, but I know that many members across this house are frustrated too.
We all have difficult jobs to do.
People on all sides of the debate hold passionate views and I respect those differences.
I would also like to thank all of those colleagues that have supported the deal so far, and those that have taken the time to meet with me to discuss their concerns.
Later, in the face of further criticism over what she said, she said she “regrets” the impression she gave. (See 5.18pm.)
She refused to confirm that she intends to lead the next stage of the Brexit negotiations. (See 5.21pm.)
She said MPs would vote on the statutory instrument changing the date of Brexit in the EU Withdrawal Act on Wednesday.
The SNP’s Lisa Cameron asks if May intends to lead the next phase of the Brexit negotiations.
May says she has always said there is a job to be done, and she intends to carry on doing it.
May refuses to confirm that she intends to lead the next stage of the Brexit negotiations.
May says it was never her intention for her speech last week to be seen as an attack on MPs and she says she “regrets” if it is seen like that.
Labour’s Jess Phillips says this is all about a psychodrama in the Conservative party. She says May constantly disappoints her.
Labour’s Paula Sheriff says she asked May last week to dial down the hate. But May responded with a “despicable” speech attacking MPs. What will May do now to dial down the hate?
May says in her speech last week she was expressing her frustration. She says, after their conversation, she took action to ensure some of the things Sheriff mentioned were investigated. May says she will take care about the language she uses.
Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, says he welcomes the line in May’s statement saying, unless the Commons agrees, no deal will not happen. Does that mean there will only be a no-deal Brexit if MPs vote for it?
May says MPs must back her deal if they want to avoid no deal.
The Tory Brexiter Martin Vickers asks May for an assurance that she will not agree a further, long extension of article 50.
May says she wants the UK to leave the EU soon. She says a long extension would involve the UK having to participate in the European elections. Constituents would find that unacceptable, she says.
May says MPs will vote on the the statutory instrument changing the date of Brexit in the EU Withdrawal Act on Wednesday.
Chris Leslie, the Independent Group MP, asks May if she is saying she will reject a confirmatory vote if that is what MPs vote for in indicative votes.
May says people want a confirmatory vote to have remain on the ballot paper. So it would be a second referendum, she says. And that means it would defy what people voted for in the referendum.
May suggests she would refuse to accept a plan for a referendum if MPs back it in indicative votes.
Here is the full text of Theresa May’s opening statement.
