MPs could still alter successful deal

MPs could still alter any Brexit deal secured by Theresa May and voted through by a majority in parliament, researchers have concluded.

Analysis of parliamentary procedures on both sides of the Channel show that MPs could wave Brexit through but still force concessions during the process of putting it on the statute books. They could also make amendments to the withdrawal bill, which could amount to a rejection of the deal.

It is widely expected that if May gets a deal she will leave as little time as possible for MPs to scrutinise it, calling a vote in the House of Commons within days of returning from Brussels. However, the researchers said this could prove problematic.

“If MPs feel they have been press-ganged into voting on a deal that they have not had sufficient time to absorb, this could create problems down the line,” said the authors of The Brexit Endgame, published yesterday to mark the start of the six-month countdown to the departure deadline.