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Brexit: Boris Johnson calls for a general election after MPs pass bill aimed to prevent no deal – live news Brexit: Boris Johnson calls for a general election after MPs pass bill aimed to prevent no deal – live news
(32 minutes later)
Caroline Lucas is speaking and is not holding back. She calls the dissolution of parliament “a desperate and utterly cynical move”. She is delighted that the PM needs to “try and own his own horrendous mess”.
Says it is vital that no election happens before there is an extension of Article 50.
She remarks on the fact that Boris Johnson has left the chambers, “he can’t even be bothered to listen to the debate on his own motion on something as important as a general election,” she says.
Nigel Evans is speaking again and says Labour campaigned on a similar platform as the Tories are now and promised to honour the referendum result.
Labour MP Clive Efford says the Benn bill does “absolutely nothing” unless the PM fails to come back from Brussels with a new deal. If he comes back with a deal MPs will vote on it on October 19, and if it passes, Britain will leave the EU with that deal. If it doesn’t pass, the house will vote on no deal, and only if that’s rejected will MP’s go for another extension.
Philips says she doesn’t believe we should have a general election, that parliament should not go on conference recess and that that it should not be prorogued.
She says she’ll vote against an election until the end of October.
Labour MP Jess Phillips is now speaking. “I have no faith in anything the PM says, in nothing,” she says.
“The PM is playing some bully boy game, that I’m probably not able to understand more than parliamentary procedures,” she says.
She says the PM could bring his plans to parliament, that some of her colleagues were “begging him” to reveal details of his negotiation progress. Says her constituents won’t be collateral in the games Boris Johnson is playing to realise his personal ambitions.
“There are thousands of EU migrants in my constituency and they have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen,” she adds.
Ian Duncan Smith is now speaking. He says Labour and the SNP called for an election just days earlier but now block it. Says the problem with a people’s vote is that the result would not be accepted if people voted to leave again, as the matter would go back to parliament and nothing would get decided again.
He calls for people to instead be asked in a general election.
“I have never seen a moment when an opposition party does not want to take over. [...] Put up, or shut up,” he says, to cheers.
Soubry says the Benn bill has been carefully drafted in the best interest of the country and is not about stopping Brexit, just about stopping no deal.
She calls for a people’s vote. “I think the British people have now changed their minds.”
Anna Soubry is now speaking. She says the PM has chosen repeatedly to use the word “frit” and “frightened” to describe MPs, when really it took them a lot of courage to make their decisions, with some choosing to end their parliamentary career in order to protect their constituents.
She says the people in the UK are sick “to their back teeth” of Brexit and the matter must be brought to its conclusion.
LibDem leader Jo Swinson says MPs should put party interest aside and focus on national interest. Says the way Tory rebels have been treated is “shameful”.
Asked whether the LibDems would pledge to revoke Article 50 at a general election, she says her party has been “crystal clear” on wanting to stop Brexit.
Says the PM has wanted his job so long “it has been almost painful to watch”, and that he said Britain would get a great deal. “Now he has the job, [...] go and get that deal!,” she says.
Adds she doesn’t believe there is a majority in Britain for a specific kind of deal, perhaps not even in the Conservative party. Says any election should happen in a “calm and orderly way”, not under the imminent threat of a no deal exit.
Conservative MP Nigel Evans accuses Labour of “running scared’ of a general election after having spent two years asking for one.Conservative MP Nigel Evans accuses Labour of “running scared’ of a general election after having spent two years asking for one.
His colleague Craig Mackinlay says many Labour MPs seem to crave EU vassalage and that voters have waited long enough. Says this parliament serves no further purpose. “It’s time for a general election,” he says.His colleague Craig Mackinlay says many Labour MPs seem to crave EU vassalage and that voters have waited long enough. Says this parliament serves no further purpose. “It’s time for a general election,” he says.
Blackford says the SNP does not trust the prime minister because of his “contempt for democracy”. “He has treated this House and the country with contempt.”Blackford says the SNP does not trust the prime minister because of his “contempt for democracy”. “He has treated this House and the country with contempt.”
He then calls the government “shambolic and irresponsible”.He then calls the government “shambolic and irresponsible”.
Blackford says nobody voted for a no-deal Brexit as it was not on the ballot paper, and challenges the Tories to “shout us down, as you tried last night”.Blackford says nobody voted for a no-deal Brexit as it was not on the ballot paper, and challenges the Tories to “shout us down, as you tried last night”.
The PM should quit the stunts, he says. The SNP is “ready to bring down the Tory government” to give Scotland a chance, and ready to work across the house in order to determine their own future.The PM should quit the stunts, he says. The SNP is “ready to bring down the Tory government” to give Scotland a chance, and ready to work across the house in order to determine their own future.
“It should be Scotland’s right to decide its own future.”“It should be Scotland’s right to decide its own future.”
Ian Blackford has just called on the PM to sack Dominic Cummings and to bring Ken Clarke in instead.Ian Blackford has just called on the PM to sack Dominic Cummings and to bring Ken Clarke in instead.
He says the Benn bill is designed to remove the cliff edge.He says the Benn bill is designed to remove the cliff edge.
“It is the SNP’s top priority to avoid no deal,” he says.“It is the SNP’s top priority to avoid no deal,” he says.
Ken Clarke, who lost the Conservative party whip last night, is now speaking and is calling for “more time” to find a solution with the EU. He says it may be desperate to find a deal, but not desperate enough to wreck the customs union and to mess up the situation in Northern Ireland.
Jeremy Corbyn has responded to the PM. Theresa May, he said, at least made detailed speeches.
“This PM claims he has a strategy, but can’t tell us what it is, [...] and he can’t tell the EU either. [...] There really is absolutely nothing there.”
Corbyn says PM knows there is no mandate for no deal.
He says parliament must decide whether to throw this government out.
“If he has a Brexit plan, he should put it before the public in either a referendum or a general election.”
Evening everyone. Boris Johnson is now speaking.
So far, much of it sounds almost identical to his speech earlier in the Commons.
He says the Benn bill is essentially one that ends the negotiations, “hands control to our partners.“
There’s only one way forward and the house has repeatedly voted to leave the EU, he says.
“Today [parliament] has voted to stop, to scupper any serious negotiations,” he says. He adds that the purpose of the Benn bill is to take away the right of the UK to determine how long it wants to stay in the EU and to hand it to the EU.
He says the country must now decide whether it is him or the leader of the opposition who goes to Brussels.
“Under any circumstances this country will leave the EU on 31 October”, he says.
He calls again for an election on 15 October.
“I think it’s very sad that MP’s have voted like this. I think it’s a great dereliction of their duty.”
MPs have given the Benn bill its third reading by 327 votes to 299 - a majority of 28.
At second reading the majority in favour was 29.
That is all from me for tonight. I am now handing over to my colleague Jedidajah Otte who will cover the debate on an early election.
This is from Graeme Cowie, a Commons clerk, on the Kinnock amendment.
I’m not sure what this amendment actually does. It attaches a purpose for the desired extension, but it doesn’t actually compel the Government (or anyone else for that matter) to actually introduce a Bill.Am I missing something? https://t.co/5ROz1patdx
Here is Labour’s Alex Sobel on the Kinnock amendment division - or non-division.
The amendment in the name of Stephen Kinnock didn’t have a vote as the Government didn’t provide tellers to count. This meant the amendment went through although the No Lobby was full. This wasn’t an accident you can be assured there’s some skullduggery going on
This is from the Labour MP Sarah Champion, who is one of the MPs who signed the Kinnock amendment that has been passed.
Big big win, my amendment to publish the withdrawal bill passed. We can now have an informed debate and hopefully secure a deal the House can accept. I both astounded and delighted!!
MPs are now voting to give the bill its third reading.
From Labour’s Jim McMahon
Mays Withdrawal Agreement is coming back...
Here is some comment from journalists on what has just happened.
From the BBC’s Laura Kuenssbeg
It looks like the Kinnock amendment to put Theresa May's deal back to the Commons for another vote just went through by mistake.... things are getting very very odd around here indeed
From the Spectator’s James Forsyth
So, Theresa May’s Brexit deal has got further tonight—with her out of office—than it ever did with her in office. Strange times…
From the Mirror’s Pippa Crerar
Has the Government done this deliberately to screw the whole vote?