May facing showdown after calling rebels’ bluff

THERESA May was facing a showdown with Tory Brexit rebels last night after a compromise on vital legislation collapsed in acrimony.

Tory Remainers warned that the Prime Minister faced ‘crunch time’ in the Commons next week after rejecting their demands for Parliament to get a veto over Brexit.

Government sources acknowledged the vote next Wednesday would be ‘incredibly tight’ – and could be lost.

But they said the principle that the referendum result should be respected in all circumstances was so important it could not be surrendered to MPs eager to thwart Brexit.

Mrs May bought off a Tory rebellion over the EU Withdrawal Bill on Tuesday after promising talks with Tory rebels over their demands for a ‘meaningful vote’ on the Brexit process.

After 48 hours of wrangling, ministers last night tabled compromise proposals that would give MPs a vote even if talks with Brussels collapse and there is no deal to consider. But rebel MPs reacted furiously after the Prime Minister vetoed their demand to be able to ‘direct’ the Government to go back to Brussels or delay Brexit if there is no deal.

The collapse in talks sets up a showdown next week.

The House of Lords will consider the Government’s amendment on Monday, when they are expected to reject it.

In its place they are set to impose plans drafted by rebel ringleader Dominic Grieve which would put Parliament, rather than the Government, in the driving seat for the final stage of the Brexit talks if ministers fail to clinch a deal that is acceptable to MPs.

It will then return to the Commons on Wednesday, with government sources saying Mr Grieve’s demands were ‘unacceptable’. One said of the rebels: ‘We’ve decided it’s time to call their bluff.

‘Dominic Grieve said he wanted a meaningful vote, and this will be one, and he said he didn’t want to stop Brexit and now he can’t.’

Another said: ‘The PM is clear we have to deliver on the verdict of the referendum.’

Last night, a YouGov poll for The Times found voters were opposed to the idea of allowing Parliament to block Brexit by a margin of 49 per cent to 32.

Mrs May’s intervention last week saw the Government throw out the Lords’ demands on a meaningful vote by 324 votes to 298. Ahead of the vote, the Prime Minister held talks with at least 13 Tory rebels. In the end only two voted against the Government – former ministers Ken Clarke and Anna Soubry.

The Government’s compromise amendment would give MPs a vote in the event of there being no deal by January 21 next year.

But the vote would be on a ‘neutral motion’, which would allow MPs to debate and take note of the fact, but not to affect what happens next. Unlike most parliamentary motions, it could not be amended – meaning rebel MPs would have no opportunity to block Brexit.

Last night, Miss Soubry said the rebels had been betrayed and more would vote against the Government next week. Mr Grieve called the Government’s plans ‘unacceptable’.

Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, signalled his party would back the Tory rebels, saying: ‘The Government’s amendment is simply not good enough.’

The YouGov poll also found that Jeremy Corbyn has fallen farther behind Mrs May in the popularity stakes. Some 39 per cent said she was most suitable to be Prime Minister. The Labour leader was backed by 24 per cent.

‘Have to deliver on referendum’