May warned of new defeat in Commons over date of Brexit

THERESA May has been warned she could face another Commons defeat unless she backs down over plans to write the date of Britain’s exit from the European Union into law.

Downing Street said there were no plans to withdraw the Government’s amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill which spells out that the UK’s membership of the union will end at 11pm on March 29, 2019.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, who led the Tory revolt on Wednesday night, said he was “sure” the Government would be defeated on the measure, while fellow rebel Stephen Hammond called on ministers and whips to negotiate over the proposal.

The prospect of another Commons reverse will increase pressure on chief whip Julian Smith, following claims from rebels that Wednesday’s defeat could have been prevented if the Government had engaged with them.

Mr Grieve led the Tory rebellion, with MPs backing his amendment to ensure a “meaningful vote” on the final withdrawal deal. He warned Mrs May she could face further humiliation unless she withdraws the amendment on the Brexit date, due to be voted on next Wednesday.

He told BBC Newsnight: “I hope very much it won’t be necessary because if the Government comes back with that date I’m sure the Government will be defeated, and I have no desire to defeat the Government or be involved in the Government’s defeat a second time.”

Mr Hammond told the BBC: “That’s a week to go in negotiations in terms of whether that’s going to be put to the House of Commons and whether it’s really necessary. People will take their view at the time.”

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the vote on the date amendment was an “accident waiting to happen” and called on the Government to drop the “ill-conceived gimmick”.

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: “Theresa May needs to learn the lesson of last night’s defeat and announce that she is dropping her silly idea of enshrining the date of Brexit in law.”

But a Downing Street spokesman said: “We have no plans to withdraw the amendment.”

The defeat, and the prospect of another knife-edge vote on Wednesday, has led to scrutiny of the chief whip’s management of the situation.

The Prime Minister has “full confidence” in him, Downing Street said, but rebels said the Government had refused to engage with them.

A last-minute concession arrived too late to persuade enough rebels to side with ministers.

Mr Grieve said: “I’m sorry that the negotiations foundered, it was a spectacular foundering, I can’t deny that ... but there appears to have been a complete breakdown within Government as to how to answer perfectly legitimate points. It is slightly worrying but I’ve no doubt people will learn from the experience.”

Another rebel, Anna Soubry, also said the defeat was avoidable and claimed there had been no meeting between Mr Grieve and the Government in the run-up to the showdown.

“There was no meeting with any minister or any whip since Monday, but we are where we are,” she told MPs.