Arm-twisting by the whips wins over Tory rebels

THERESA MAY yesterday denied she had sold out Brexiteers after agreeing to give MPS a vote on whether Britain should leave the EU without a deal.

As the Government narrowly avoided a defeat in the Commons, the Prime Minister met around a dozen pro-european Tory MPS to reassure them that she was prepared to accept aspects of an amendment tabled by Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general.

It came after an extraordinary day in which whips openly twisted the arms of pro-european ministers in the Commons amid a mounting sense of panic on the Government benches.

As the EU Withdrawal Bill debate raged on around them, senior party figures shuttled between the front and back benches, brokering deals that will shape the future of Brexit.

Julian Smith, the Chief Whip, his predecessor Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, and other ministers held hushed discussions with backbench MPS to find the price of buying their loyalty.

Defeat was only averted after Robert Buckland, the Solicitor-general, made a deal with Mr Grieve across the floor of the Commons in a desperate attempt to reach a compromise.

The day culminated in a dramatic meeting between Mrs May and around a dozen rebels in her Commons office just minutes before a vote was due, in which they agreed to hold off in return for the promise of a compromise to be thrashed out in the coming days.

During her meeting, Mrs May repeatedly told them “trust me”. There were warnings last night that if she fails to deliver her concession they could force her out of office.

The last-minute concession proved to be enough as MPS voted in favour of removing the Lords amendment from the Bill by 324 votes to 298, a majority of 26. It means that if no deal has been agreed by November 30, ministers must hold a vote in Parliament on “how they plan to proceed”, and “seek the approval of the house for that course of action”. Pro-european MPS believe that it effectively ends the prospect of leaving the European Union without a deal.

Mr Grieve said: “I’m very happy… The Government has responded positively to our concerns. It has accepted that there needs to be a mechanism for a meaningful vote, not only in terms of a deal but also in terms of no deal.”

However, ministers insisted that the vote will not be binding on the Government and it can still potentially leave the European Union without a deal.

“It makes it more difficult if the will of Parliament is against us, but it still leaves the Government in charge,” said a Brexit department spokesman. “We have not, and will not, agree to the House of Commons binding the Government’s hands in the negotiations”.

The possibility of a humiliating defeat became increasingly apparent as Mrs May engaged in hushed discussions with Julian Smith at the start of the crunch debate.

Mr Smith then did the rounds of speaking to Tory rebels. The scale of his task was highlighted by Anna Soubry, who attacked whips for targeting her and other rebels in “quiet and dark corridors”. She also warned that the atmosphere around Brexit meant that “one of our number had to attend a public engagement with six armed undercover police officers”.

As the prospect of a government defeat loomed larger, Mr Buckland offered Mr Grieve a concession.

He said he was “indicating that the Government is willing to engage positively” with Mr Grieve before the draft legislation returned to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

Mr Grieve welcomed the Solicitor General’s pledge but warned it must be done “in good faith”.