May sees off Brexit rebellion by giving MPs final deal say
THERESA May avoided humiliation on a crucial Brexit vote when a late concession was granted that persuaded pro-EU MPs in her own party not to rebel.
The Prime Minister had faced the prospect of Conservatives joining Labour and voting to give Parliament the power to take control of the Brexit process if the deal is defeated or there is no agreement.
There was morning drama when Justice Minister Phillip Lee resigned, saying he wanted to vote to “empower Parliament”.
He warned that Brexit policy was
“detrimental to the people we were elected to serve”.
But MPs voted by 324 to 298 to reject the House of Lords amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill amid reports of intense efforts to keep Tory MPs on board. It is reported that around 15 to 20 Conservatives were given assurances in a face-toface discussion with Mrs May in her Commons office.
A key moment came when former North Wales AM Antoinette Sandbach, now the Conservative MP for Eddisbury, said she would no longer be voting for the Lords amendment.
It is understood ministers have agreed to discuss changes which could require the Government to seek the approval of parliament if the Commons rejects a deal in the autumn.
Dr Lee said he was “delighted” the Government had agreed to “introduce an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill which will give Parliament the voice I always wanted”.
He said this justified his decision to resign earlier in the day and made it “a lot less painful”.
Cardiff South and Penarth Labour MP Stephen Doughty said: “There were desperate scenes from the Government, with the chief whip scrabbling around trying to bring rebels on side in the face of stark defeat. In the end the Government had to concede to rebels’ requests to make changes.
“The Lords and Commons will now have another chance to consider this crucial issue. This is a Government in chaos flying by the seat of its pants on the most crucial issue since World War II.”
Rebel ringleader and former Attorney General Dominic Grieve withdrew his own proposals on how MPs should be given a “meaningful vote” on the Brexit deal, saying: “I am quite satisfied that we are going to get a meaningful vote on both deal and no deal.”
When asked what had been agreed, he said: “The Prime Minister agreed that the amendments we had tabled, and the issue that we had raised about Parliament’s role in the event of no deal, was an important one and undertook to work with us to put together amendments to present in the Lords which would address those concerns.”
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said Labour would “wait and see” the full details of what the Government has conceded.
He said: “This vote was about ensuring Parliament was given a proper role in the Brexit negotiations and that we avoid a no deal situation, which is becoming more likely with the divisions at the heart of this Government. However, facing the prospect of a humiliating defeat Theresa May has been forced to enter negotiations with her backbenchers and offer a so-called concession. We will wait and see the details of this concession and will hold ministers to account to ensure it lives up to the promises they have made to Parliament.”
Plaid Cymru Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards was disappointed at the absence of a rebellion.
He said: “Time is running out for sensible, moderate politicians to act against this government. We had an opportunity [to] make sure Parliament was given a meaningful role to play in holding the UK Government to account on its Brexit negotiations.
“It is a shame that the Government has succeeded in hoodwinking its backbench MPs to allow the Government to do as it pleases. If they’re not careful, the Tory rebels will go down as the weakest rebels in history.”
Mr Edwards urged “all sensible and moderate MPs to unite to secure as soft a Brexit as possible”.
The Government signalled its willingness to make changes when Solicitor General Robert Buckland said ministers were ready to “engage positively”.
Prominent pro-EU Labour MP Chuka Umunna was unimpressed and pushed for a referendum, saying: “With the Government in chaos, divided and barely able to negotiate with its own party, let alone with the EU, momentum is only going to build behind a people’s vote on the final Brexit deal so that the people of this country can decide whether the deal on offer is good enough for them, their families and our country.”
Swansea West Labour MP Geraint Davies criticised the lack of time that had been allocated to debate “the most important issue of our lifetime”.