May's Brexit plans face Wednesday showdown

The House of Lords is set to vote down the government’s Brexit bill and the “meaningful vote” on Monday setting up a showdown with rebel lawmakers in the Commons on Wednesday.

The pressure will pile on Prime Minister Theresa May as she confronts opposition from all sides and stands with a wafer-thin majority.

Pro-EU Tories have warned that they will vote down the government’s plans for what should happen in the scenario of a no-deal Brexit. They argue that Parliament should be given power to take over negotiations if no deal is agreed or if the agreement made with the EU is deemed unacceptable.

Last week the government conceded to giving parliament a symbolic vote on the government’s strategy if there is no agreement with the EU. Former attorney general and leading rebel Dominic Grieve drafted his own version of the amendment but was shot down by ministers.

Grieve said over the weekend that the current arrangement promised by the government was “valueless”. It is expected that the Lords will overturn the government’s “symbolic vote” and will move towards an amendment closer to Grieve’s proposal.

According to Bloomberg, some MP’s warn they could move to oust the Prime Minister and collapse the government if they voted against the Brexit deal.

On the other hand, May is still facing challenges to please hard-line Tory Brexiteers who would happily exit the block without a deal. The PM stands on the edge of a knife as she tries to move Brexit negotiations forward without upsetting either side of her conflicted party.