NO DEAL.. NO HOPE
irish government insists Withdrawal agreement will not be renegotiated after May’s catastrophic loss
Yes 202, no 432 .... Majority: 230
THE Irish Government last night insisted the Withdrawal Agreement will not be renegotiated as Theresa May suffered a catastrophic Brexit defeat.
The humiliated PM lost the vote on her EU plan by a staggering 230 majority that leaves Britain staring at a catastrophic no deal – or no Brexit.
After the crushing defeat, which followed two-and-a-half years of botched negotiations with Brussels, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launched a motion of no confidence in her government. It will be voted on at 7pm today.
But the stubborn PM refused to quit, despite the blow to her Brexit plans that left her stripped of all authority as MPS finally buried her deal.
Instead, she plans to resurrect it and try yet again to win over MPS before another vote on Monday.
Last night a spokesman for the Irish Government regretted the outcome of the vote but added:
“The Withdrawal Agreement was concluded, following lengthy and detailed negotiations, as a fair and balanced compromise to a very complicated situation.
“The Irish Government continues to believe that ratification of this agreement is the best way to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the UK, which avoids a hard border and respects the single market and customs union, while also delivering on the UK’S objec- tives for withdrawal. The Irish Government recalls the clear position of the European Council at its meeting of December 13 when it stated that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation.
“This was restated in the joint letter from Presidents Tusk and Juncker to Prime Minister May yesterday [Monday].
“Regrettably, the outcome of tonight’s vote increases the risk of a disorderly Brexit. Consequently, the Government will continue to intensify preparations for such an outcome.
“Earlier today, Cabinet discussed preparation for a ‘no deal’ Brexit in detail. Cabinet took a number of significant decisions, including the preparation of essential legislative measures as part of this ongoing work.
“The Irish Government recognises, however, that a disorderly Brexit is a bad outcome for everyone, not least in Northern Ireland.
“It is not too late to avoid this outcome and we call on the UK to set out how it proposes to resolve this impasse as a matter of urgency.”
Last night Mr Corbyn branded Mrs May’s defeat “catastrophic” and said it represented an “absolutely decisive” verdict on her handling of Brexit.
He added: “She is only attempting to reach out now to try to keep her failed process and deal alive after it’s been so roundly rejected by Parliament on behalf of the people of this country.
“At every turn the Prime Minister has closed the door on dialogue. In the last two years she’s only had one priority… the Conservative Party. Her governing principle of delay and denial has reached the end of the line.”
Mr Corbyn’s no-confidence motion
In the last two years Mrs May has had only one priority – the Conservative Party JEREMY CORBYN RALLIES THE HOUSE TO VOTE DOWN TORY GOVERNMENT
could force an early general election if it wins the support of more than 50% of MPS. But that is unlikely after the DUP’S Sammy Wilson said the party’s 10 MPS will back Mrs May in her fight for survival.
MPS voted 432 to 202 against her Brexit plans, which critics had warned would leave the UK tied to the EU without any say on it.
The huge Tory rebellion of 118 Tory MPS included fervent Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-mogg as well as leading Remainers Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve.
Her two former Brexit secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab also voted against the deal.
The 230-vote margin of defeat was the worst suffered by any government and in normal circumstances would be enough to force a PM from office.
But Mrs May made clear she plans to cling on, holding talks with MPS to find “genuinely negotiable” solutions she can take back to Brussels.
She pledged to open cross-party talks with senior Labour MPS over the next few days to help save Brexit – but the invitation did not initially appear to extend to Mr Corbyn.
And the PM seemed to rule out any dramatic changes to her deal with aides insisting it would form the basis of her Plan B.
But she was last night looking increasingly boxed in with her Cabinet, her party and Parliament all urging her to change tack.
Mrs May said: “The House has spoken and this government will listen. It is clear this House does not support this deal, but tonight’s vote tells us nothing about what it does support.” No10 sources played down expectations of her compromising over a second referendum or extending Article 50.
EU chiefs warned the PM to “urgently” set out her plans as the clock was ticking down to Brexit. Eurocrat Jean-claude Juncker said: “I note with regret the outcome of the vote in the Commons this evening.
“I urge the UK to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up.”
EU Council president Donald Tusk added: “If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no-deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?”