No hope for deal vote
Chances of the PM getting MPs support for her deal next week are as thin as ever after she suffered two defeats in Parliament this week
THERESA May can have no great expectations of getting MPs approval for her Brexit deal next Tuesday (January 15) after suffering two highly important defeats this week in Parliament.
On Wednesday MPs voted 308-297 in favour of amendment for three-day 'plan B' deadline that will force Theresa May to present an alternative plan to the existing deal just three days after the vote if it is rejected.
With EU leaders insisting the current agreement cannot be modified, the three-day goal is practically impossible to reach.
This was the second defeat in less that 24 hours for Theresa May. On Tuesday, 20 of her own MPs votes in favour of a cross-party amendment to the finance bill that will curb some of the government’s tax administration powers in the event of no deal.
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, the PM will be seeking to assure MPs, and more specifically the DUP that the Northern Ireland backstop will not be permanent and she has even announced that MPs will have a final vote on the backstop. However, a DUP spokesman has ruled out his party's support next week.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said he does not think Brexit can happen by 29 March and that extending article 50 'may well be inevitable'. Other Labour MPs said that a no confidence motion will be on the table almost immediately if the government loses the vote on Tuesday.
Jeremy Corbyn added that the only was out of the current stalemate situation would be general election.
Once again, the Brexit deal vote appears to be heading for the cliffs and, once its has been shattered by MPs, all options are back on the table, including no-deal, vote of no-confidence, a general election and even the Poeple's Vote.
Expats living here in Spain will be eager to see the outcome as their rights will be affected in different ways depending on the result.
Costa Blanca News will provide updates on the vote on Tuesday via its website www.costa-news.com and social media with a full report and analysis of the situation in next Friday's edition.