Labour rebels’ no-deal snub to Corbyn is a boon for Brexiteers vying for No 10
Attempt to seize control of EU agenda is defeated after backbenchers refuse to vote with their own party
EIGHT Labour MPS ignored party orders and opposed efforts to stop the UK leaving the European Union without a deal, in a damaging blow to Jeremy Corbyn’s authority.
The defeat for the Labour leader is a major boost for Brexiteer contenders in the Conservative leadership race who want to keep the option of leaving the EU without a deal on the table to force Brussels to make changes to the Withdrawal Agreement by Oct 31.
The motion’s defeat means that, as it stands, if a new prime minister wants to take the UK out of the EU without a deal, there is nothing that MPS – or Commons Speaker John Bercow – can do about it.
It also meant that Theresa May avoided another bruising defeat which would have constrained her successor before they had even taken office.
However, MPS expect Labour and Mr Bercow to find a way to give MPS a vote on a no-deal exit if the UK approaches Oct 31 without an agreement.
Labour’s motion sought to suspend the Standing Orders, the rules which govern MPS in the Commons, in order to bring forward draft legislation on June 25 to block a no deal.
It was backed by Sir Oliver Letwin, the former Tory Cabinet Office minister who was behind a similar backbench bill forced through earlier this year. He supports Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, in the Conservative leadership contest.
The motion was defeated by 309 votes to 298, a majority of 11, despite 10 Conservative MPS supporting it.
Abstentions also dented Labour’s bid to allow MPS to take control of the Commons agenda on June 25 as part of an attempt to block the UK leaving the EU without a deal on October 31.
The Labour rebels were former ministers Caroline Flint and Jim Fitzpatrick, as well as Sir Kevin Barron, Ronnie Campbell, Stephen Hepburn, Kate Hoey, John Mann and Graham Stringer. Abstentions also hindered Labour’s bid.
Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, had urged MPS to support the measures in order to introduce a “safety valve” into the Brexit process, given some of the promises being made by Tory leadership candidates.
Some have refused to rule out suspending Parliament in order to force the UK’S EU departure, and Sir Keir said Labour was trying to “make sure Parliament cannot be locked out”.
He said of the contest to succeed Mrs May: “It’s become an arms race to promise the most damaging form of Brexit or to make the most absurd or undeliverable promises.”
Sir Keir criticised the claim by Dominic Raab, the former Brexit secretary now vying for the leadership, that Parliament could be temporarily shut down to allow a no-deal Brexit.
Stephen Barclay, the Brexit Secretary, accused Labour of pushing a “blind motion” which lacked detail about the potential legislation it could enable to come forward. He contrasted Sir Keir’s suggestion that a new Tory prime minister would be unable to secure a change to the Irish backstop with his contention that a new Labour prime minister would be able to go to Brussels and return with changes, adding: “Within [Sir Keir’s] remarks, one can see contradictions inherent within this motion.”
Sir Oliver urged colleagues to back the motion. He warned that it was the only opportunity to stop a no-deal Brexit, as there were potentially only four weeks in September and October in which Parliament would be sitting.
He said: “If we don’t do these things now, and if we haven’t got in place a process which leads in early September to forcing a decisive vote to be taken, there will be no opportunity for the legislative time to do it. Although it isn’t a fast-burning fuse, it is a bomb, the fuse of which is already burning.”
Sir Oliver said that, if the motion did not pass, a future prime minister would not need to go the lengths of proroguing Parliament to ensure a no-deal Brexit, warning they could secure that result simply by not allowing MPS the opportunity to vote against no deal.
‘The fuse is burning. It’s wrong to say that this is premature. It’s the only time we’re ever going to have’