TORY REVOLT KILLS OFF NO-DEAL BREXIT
Tory revolt effectively means UK now can’t exit EU without a deal
THE prospect of a no-deal Brexit – the nightmare scenario for Ireland – has been effectively killed off following a revolt by Tory MPs at Westminster.
The defeat for Theresa May in a crucial vote means that British MPs will get to decide on what form of Brexit – if any – they accept.
This could see the UK staying in the Customs Union, having a second vote, delaying Brexit – or even cancelling it altogether.
Most importantly for Ireland, however, it almost certainly ensures Britain cannot leave with no deal as MPs would simply not vote for such an option.
The vote effectively lifts the threat of a Hard Brexit, which could have had a catastrophic impact on cross-border trade and on trade between Ireland and Britain – and it could have brought back a border on this island.
Amid extraordinary scenes in Britain’s House of Commons, 26 Tory rebels sided with Labour to push through an amendment that would let MPs step in if her deal is defeated next week.
Dominic Grieve, a former attorney general, led the rebellion which effectively takes a no-deal exit off the table.
He claimed it could lead to a second referendum, adding: ‘MPs are tonight starting the process of taking back control.’
The prime minister also suffered a humiliating defeat over her bid to keep the government’s legal advice on the EU withdrawal agreement under wraps.
Her administration is the first in modern history to be found in contempt of parliament.
And a separate bid to kick the issue into the long grass was also defeated.
Last night, Mrs May tried to keep her deal alive with a rousing speech to the Commons, in which she warned that ‘Brexit could be stopped’ entirely if her plan is voted down.
Downing Street must now hope that the threat of parliament blocking a no-deal Brexit convinces some eurosceptic opponents of her deal to change their minds before the meaningful vote. However, a number of high profile, and previously loyal, Tory MPs rebelled during the series of defeats last night.
And in a clear indication that her ‘confidence and supply’ deal with the DUP is fractured beyond repair, the party warned her it did not fear another election.
Downing Street had hoped the threat Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn coming to power would bring them to heel.
But the party voted against the Government last night, with Nigel Dodds, the party’s Westminster leader, telling Mrs May: ‘I’m certain we will be returned in greater numbers.’
Last night, former Tory minister Jonathan Djanogly, who was among the rebels, said: ‘This is significant because now, if the deal is rejected on the first vote; further consideration can be given to different possible ways forward when the Government comes back to the House. Plan B lives.’
MPs said they would back Mrs May’s deal next week, but would use the amendment to push for a softer, Norway-style deal if it is defeated.
One Eurosceptic MP described the amendment as ‘the end of Brexit’.
A Whitehall source last night said the effect of the amendment was ‘not binding’, but added: ‘The reality is it would be difficult to ignore the will of parliament’.
Mrs May now has less than a week to try and pull off the biggest parliamentary turnaround in history and save her deal from being killed by MPs. At least 100 Tory MPs have publicly indicated they are opposed to the deal.
However the prime minister fought on promising to listen to Tory MPs worried about the border backstop, saying she would ‘consider how we can go further’ to reassure it will not leave the UK in a customs union forever and she offered to give MPs a ‘more formal role’ in steering the trade talks with the EU after the UK has left next year.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson was heckled by moderate Tories as he attacked Mrs May’s deal and urged MPs to vote against it next week and fellow Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted next week’s crunch vote would be close, and dismissed ‘ridiculously inflated’ claims about the scale of the rebellion.
But outside of parliament a senior Toyota executive warned a no-deal Brexit could result in ‘stop-start production’ for weeks or months at the car giant’s UK plant and Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned a no-deal Brexit could result in food prices rising by 10%, and the European Court of Justice’s senior lawyer said Article 50, which started the Brexit process, could be revoked unilaterally by the United Kingdom.
And while Brexiteer cabinet minister Chris Grayling publicly backed Mrs May’s deal for the first time, senior Tories were last night furious with Commons Speaker John Bercow, who allowed the contentious debates and votes to take place immediately before Mrs May rose to open a five-day debate on her deal which could decide the fate of Brexit.
‘MPs are taking back control’ Could push for Norway-style deal