PM’s last-gasp agreement on Brexit before crunch vote
Parliament in denial over crisis
THERESA MAY has made a lastgasp bid to get her Brexit deal through Parliament after securing what a senior Minister described as “legally-binding” changes to “strengthen and improve” the agreement signed with European leaders.
Speaking in the Commons last night as the Prime Minister negotiated with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Strasbourg, her de facto deputy David Lidington said a ‘joint instrument’ had been agreed to provide assurances on the controversial Irish backstop.
The last-ditch bid to make progress in talks, which Downing Street admitted overnight were “deadlocked”, came amid predictions that Mrs May is headed for a second humiliating Commons defeat on her Withdrawal Agreement today unless she can secure legally-binding changes to the backstop.
The Cabinet Office Minister said the document confirmed the EU “cannot try to trap the UK in the backstop indefinitely and that doing so would be an explicit breach of the legally-binding commitments that both sides have agreed”.
And he said the “joint instrument” reflects the commitment to “replace the backstop with alternative arrangements by December 2020”.
He added: “Tomorrow there will be a fundamental choice, to vote for this new deal or plunge this country into a crisis. Now is the time to come together to back this improved Brexit deal.”
But responding for Labour, Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the Withdrawal Agreement remained unchanged despite the negotiations and that his party would vote against it. And Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith said he would need to study the contents of the document before deciding whether he could back Mrs May’s Brexit deal.
Mrs May was greeted in Strasbourg by Mr Juncker and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay accompanied the PM to the talks.
The backstop is the main area of contention, as many MPs fear it would trap the UK in a customs union if it comes into force at the end of a transition period in December 2020.
Now is the time to come together to back this improved Brexit deal. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington.
Mrs May’s efforts to secure new assurances appeared to have hit stalemate yesterday morning, as Mr Barnier said discussions were now taking place “between the Government in London and the Parliament in London”, rather than the UK and Brussels.
Mrs May ducked a demand from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to update the House of Commons on the progress of negotiations, sending Brexit Minister Robin Walker to respond to his urgent question in her place.
Mrs May was warned yesterday that her position could be in jeopardy unless she stuck to commitments she made about this week’s votes. If her deal is defeated for a second time, she has promised to give MPs a vote on whether to accept a no-deal Brexit on March 29 or to extend Article 50 in order to delay the UK’s departure beyond the current deadline.
JOHN BERCOW has insisted the Commons will “not be messed around” by Ministers over today’s crucial Brexit vote, amid widespread uncertainty over the Government’s plans.
The Speaker, inset, sounded his warning after several MPs condemned the lack of time available for them to consider any changes to the Brexit deal and to table amendments.
Brexit Minister Robin Walker confirmed yesterday that a second meaningful vote on Theresa May’s deal will take place today, and said it was “incumbent” on MPs to take the opportunity to “deliver on the will of the British people and to provide certainty” by backing Mrs May’s deal.
But with Theresa May travelling to Strasbourg for talks with EU officials last night, he was unable to offer further details as to when a motion to be voted on will be brought forward, noting that negotiations are ongoing.
Mr Bercow, inset, hinted today’s debate on the Brexit deal could be delayed by extra business being added to the schedule, which would give MPs a chance to assess new information, while Independent former minister Chris Leslie suggested a suspension of the sitting may be required. Addressing the Commons, Labour former minister and Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper raised a point of order to highlight there was more consultation over door closures on the Docklands Light Railway than the “entire future of our country” on Brexit.
She said: “The Government is being utterly irresponsible and reckless. Is this incompetence or just contempt for Parliament?”
Mr Bercow said he did not want to get into the matter of contempt, but added: “I do think it is important that we treat this business in a responsible way, and part of treating it in a responsible way means ensuring that parliamentary colleagues and, very importantly, backbenchers have the opportunity to express their will both in written and spoken form – as well as by vote.”
He said he would keep an eye on matters, adding: “We must not be messed around – I’m sure that’s not the will of (Mr Walker), who is a most courteous fellow, but we cannot allow that to happen.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose urgent question on Brexit brought Mr Walker to the Commons, earlier said: “This is a Government in chaos with a country in chaos because of this mess.”
MPs attempted to pin down the Government on whether any changes secured by Mrs May to the Withdrawal Agreement would be legally-binding. Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn, chair of the Brexit Committee, asked: “Will that have the approval of the heads of government, and if not will it actually constitute a negotiated agreement under the terms of section 13.1b of the EU Withdrawal Act?”
Mr Walker said he was unable to answer the questions, but suggested he put them to Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay this morning when he is due to face Mr Benn’s committee.
European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the talks happening now were “between the Government in London and the Parliament in London”, rather than the UK and Brussels.
If the Government is defeated in tonight’s meaningful vote, MPs are expected to vote tomorrow on ruling out a no-deal Brexit and the following day on whether to delay the UK’s exit.
AS THERESA May flew to Strasbourg to seek 11thhour concessions from the European Union last night in a frantic attempt to save her Brexit deal, premiership and reputation, the level of mistrust in Parliament was unworthy of one of the world’s greatest democracies.
After Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s urgent question to the Prime Minister was answered by Robin Walker, a junior Brexit Minister, experienced MPs from all sides of the debate tried to score cheap political points off each other, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Britain is due to leave the EU in just over a fortnight’s time – and no one is any the wiser about the terms of departure.
And if the Government is still uncertain if a deal is achievable that can command majority support in Parliament, where does that leave all those businesses – and individuals – whose futures depend on the outcome?
For nearly 1,000 days, too many politicians have been rerunning the June 2016 referendum rather than coming up with practical and pragmatic ways to implement the instruction of voters. Tory and Labour MPs also need to remember that their respective parties were committed at the last election to honouring the referendum result.
And while Mrs May has certainly done herself few favours, starting with her flawed decision to exclude political opponents from the process before calling a rash election which left her at the mercy of Northern Ireland’s uncompromising DUP, she deserves credit for still striving to find answers when it is quite possible that no solution exists which satisfies sufficient MPs.
As her apparent ‘mission impossible’ reaches another decisive moment, she deserves better than the antics of those colleagues and opponents who are still in denial about the contempt in which they will be held if Parliament does not come to an amicable settlement by March 29.