Remoaner rebels’ Brexit blackmail
THERESA May was held to ransom over Brexit last night after diehard Tory Remainers threatened mutiny.
Amid angry scenes, the PM was forced to offer last-minute concessions to rebels threatening to vote with Labour.
Mrs May held private talks with a group of more than a dozen Tory Remainers ten minutes before MPs began voting on amendments tabled by the Lords.
The intervention was enough to stave off a Government defeat over demands for a socalled ‘meaningful vote’ which would make it impossible for Britain to leave the EU without a deal and put MPs in charge of the final stage of negotiations.
Solicitor General Robert Buckland then announced ministers would hold ‘structured discussions’ with the rebels in the coming days in a bid to find a compromise ahead of fresh votes on Monday.
The rebellion was given fresh momentum by the dramatic resignation of Justice Minister Phillip Lee, who said he could no longer support the Government over Brexit.
Dr Lee, a personal friend of Mrs May, lik- ened Brexit to the death penalty and said MPs had a ‘responsibility’ to block it, however popular it was with the public.
Furious Tories later warned that Dr Lee could face deselection in his Bracknell constituency, which voted for Brexit in the referendum.
Last night the Department for Exiting the EU denied giving way on the rebels’ central demands, saying: ‘We have not, and will not, agree to the House of Commons binding the Government’s hands in the negotiations.’
But rebel MPs claimed Mrs May was forced to promise Parliament a greater say over the course of future negotiations with Brussels. And they threatened to rebel next week unless she bows to their demands for Parliament to be put in charge of the final stage of negotiations if ministers fail to agree a Brexit deal acceptable to MPs.
The row came as ministers sought to overturn a string of amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill passed by peers.
The Lords had demanded a ‘meaningful vote’ which would allow Parliament to take charge of negotiations if ministers fail to get a good deal with Brussels by the autumn. Constitutional expert Vernon Bogdanor described the Lords proposal as a ‘constitutional absurdity’ which would ‘weaken the position of British negotiators, once it became known that any agreement concluded could be overturned by a Parliament in which Remainers predominate’.
Diehard Tory Remainers, led by a group of sacked former ministers, warned that they would back the amendment unless ministers agreed to a ‘compromise’ tabled by rebel leader Dominic Grieve, which would delay Parliament taking control until February.
The gang of 13 who threatened mutiny against Mrs May included several MPs whose constituents voted by a majority for Leave in the referendum. Among them were Anna Soubry, MP for Broxtowe, which voted 52.5 per cent for Leave, Antoinette Sandbach, MP for Eddisbury, whose constituents backed Leave by 52.2 per cent and Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman whose constituents voted 61 per cent for Leave.
The stand- off led to extraordinary scenes as, with the clock ticking, Government Chief Whip Julian Smith scurried between rebel MPs and ministers in a bid to broker a compromise.
At one point, Mr Smith was seen kneeling in conversation with David Davis on the frontbench. Mrs May then issued a plea to rebels to hold off during a series of meetings in her office.
The intervention was successful, with MPs voting to reject the Lords amendment by 324 votes to 298. Ex-ministers Kenneth Clarke and Miss Soubry were the only Tory rebels, with Dr Lee abstaining.
Heidi Allen said the Prime Minister had told her she would accept plans requiring ministers to ‘seek approval of the Commons’ on the Government’s Brexit strategy if a deal is not struck by the end of November. And she said Mrs May had agreed to discuss proposals to hand responsibility for Brexit negotiations to MPs if no deal is struck by the middle of February.
Ministers will now hold five days of talks before tabling new proposals, which will be considered first by the Lords on Monday. Rebel MP Sarah Wollaston warned that ministers would face a fresh mutiny unless the proposals ‘closely reflect’ those put down by Mr Grieve.
Privately, Eurosceptics accused the Chief Whip of over-estimating the resolve of the rebellion.
John Mann, one of five Labour MPs to vote with the Government, said his constituents ‘do not wish to see negotiations carried out by 650 MPs’, adding: ‘How will we explain to them that the unelected Lords can overturn both the Commons and the referendum result?’
Brexit Minister Steve Baker confirmed ministers had ‘agreed to look for a compromise’ but said any deal would have to pass three tests – respecting the referendum result, leaving ministers in charge of the talks and ‘not undermining the negotiations’.
‘Constitutional absurdity’