Allowing votes on type of Brexit may force new election, warns Barclay
Minister says Conservative manifesto promises will be broken if Parliament seizes control of agenda
VOTING for a softer Brexit could lead to a general election, the Brexit Secretary has warned, as MPS prepare to take part in a series of “indicative votes” in the Commons this week.
Stephen Barclay said rejecting Theresa May’s deal in favour of another type of Brexit could result in the Conservative Party breaking its manifesto promises.
Indicative votes allow MPS to decide on a series of options designed to see what can command a majority in Parliament. Supporters of the plan believe it could provide a way out of the political deadlock.
However, Mr Barclay said “the risk of a general election increases” if the Commons goes down that path.
Although the vote itself would “not be binding”, he said Parliament choosing a different Brexit option would “potentially collide with fundamental commitments the Government has given in their manifesto”.
An amendment tabled today by a cross-party group of MPS, led by Hilary Benn and Sir Oliver Letwin, will aim to pave the way for indicative votes.
Some ministers have suggested that, should the amendment not pass, the Government will itself set aside time for indicative votes.
Should the amendment be successful, on Wednesday Parliament would be expected to vote for up to seven different options, including no deal, revoking Article 50, and a softer Brexit.
Mr Barclay warned this would put the UK at risk of a “constitutional collision” because the alternative options could require it to take part in European Parliament elections, contrary to what the Tories promised in 2017.
“What Parliament [would have] done is vote for a number of contradictory things, so we would need to untangle that,” he told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One. “But ultimately, at its logical conclusion, the risk of a general election increases, because you potentially have a situation where Parliament is instructing the executive to do something that is counter to what it was elected to do.”
Mr Barclay added: “If an amendment goes through where Parliament takes control of the order paper, then that leaves open the door to Parliament then legislating to take no deal off the table. And that is something that Brexiteers like me would see as a massive risk to Brexit, because if Brexiteers and Parliament votes against the deal and also votes to take no deal off the table, then the only option is to then have European Parliamentary elections.”
David Lidington, Mrs May’s de facto deputy, has been leading discussions on indicative votes in the event that her deal is voted down.
The Government has been considering endorsing the approach. Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, last week said Number 10 would offer MPS indicative votes, but Downing Street insisted no decision had been taken.
However, Brexiteers fear the votes would lead to a softer Brexit, with MPS gathering around an option to amend Mrs May’s deal to place the UK in a customs union.
A Cabinet minister told The Daily Telegraph: “The Prime Minister is in a very difficult position. It [indicative votes] would tip her over. This is what various Cabinet ministers have been for months pushing for. It’s a way of getting a customs union and a soft Brexit. She needs to set out a timetable for her departure and try to get her meaningful vote through.”
The plan has been welcomed by European leaders. Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, and Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister, suggested they would support a move towards a customs union. The Prime Minister will have until April 12 to find an alternative if her deal is voted down for a third time.
European leaders have said they would offer Mrs May a longer extension if she could prove she had the support of the Commons for an alternative Brexit plan.
‘The Prime Minister is in a very difficult position. It [indicative votes] would tip her over’