Commons 'to get final vote on Brexit deal', as May agrees more concessions
The government made last-minute concessions with party rebels to win a key vote in parliament, but Theresa May gave private assurances that the House of Commons will be able to direct Brexit negotiations if no deal is agreed with the European Union by the end of November.
With the lower house kicking off a two-day debate over amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill that will see members of parliament vote on 15 amendments to the bill sent back by the House of Lords, the government had agreed a compromise between pro-EU rebels and leading Brexiters overnight to avoiding a humiliating defeat on customs union vote.
On Tuesday, the government won the first two votes but looked like losing the vote on an amendment put forward by MP Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, that would give the Commons a 'meaningful' vote on the exit deal agreed with the EU.
In the face of a crucial loss, hurried discussions between Tory Whips and the rebels led to the government parts of the Grieve amendment in order to gain the votes of the rebels.
A group of 15-20 rebels were given a personal assurance by the Prime Minister in her Commons office ten minutes before voting started on accepting "the thrust" of the Grieve amendment and putting it in the bill in the Lords, Sky News reported. The Guardian and the Sun reported that the May had conceded to two of the three parts of the Grieve amendment and agreed to discuss the third.
Several of the pro-EU MPs backed down and said they will vote alongside the government in light of the concessions.
As a result, the government won the vote 324 to 298, with Grieve saying he had voted with the government against his own amendment after "personal assurances" from Theresa May, saying he was "quite satisfied" MPs will end up with a meaningful vote anyway.
The Grieve amendment's three parts are:
A) Within seven days of the statement MPs would have to vote on a motion approving the government’s approach.
B) If there is no agreement on Brexit withdrawal by 30 November, the government would have to give MPs the chance to vote on a motion saying what should happen next.
C) If there is no agreement by 15 February 2019, the government have to bring the matter to the Commons within five days. But this vote would be different from the other two, because the government would then have to follow any “direction” given by the Commons in a vote in favour of a resolution.
According to newspaper sources, the government has accepted that it will implement parts A and B, and agreed to talk about C, the binding vote.