May to promise new Brexit debate in push for more time
PM IS TRYING TO PERSUADE EU TO CHANGE DEAL AGREED LATE LAST YEAR
British Prime Minister Theresa May will pledge this week to give parliament another chance to voice their opinions on Brexit by February 27 as she tries to buy more time to negotiate a new deal with the European Union.
As the clock ticks down to Britain’s scheduled exit on March 29, May is trying to persuade the EU to change a deal that was agreed between London and Brussels late last year but overwhelmingly rejected by parliament in January.
May wants to win over lawmakers in her Conservative Party with changes relating to the Northern Irish border, but the EU has refused to reopen that part of the deal and instead wants May to pursue a compromise with the main opposition Labour Party by agreeing to closer UK-EU ties.
The impasse has left the world’s fifth largest economy facing an uncertain future, rattling financial markets and businesses about the prospect of a disorderly exit from the bloc that could damage the economy.
Alternative options
Housing minister James Brokenshire said yesterday May would commit to giving parliament another debate on Brexit with the chance to vote on alternative options, if a deal had not yet been agreed and voted upon by then.
May is already due to update parliament on her progress towards a deal on Wednesday and then on Thursday to give parliament a chance to express their opinion. The new pledge would be for a repeat of this process by February 27.
“That gives that sense of timetable, clarity, and purpose on what we’re doing with the EU — taking that work forward and our determination to get a deal — but equally knowing that role that parliament very firmly has,” Brokenshire told the BBC.
Brexit minister Stephen Barclay will meet EU negotiator Michel Barnier today to discuss changes to the part of the exit deal relating to the ‘backstop’, an insurance policy against the return of a hard border between EU member Ireland and British-ruled Northern Ireland. ■ The British parliament is set to hold a debate on Brexit on February 14 but this is not a re-run of a vote last month on whether to approve the exit deal Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the European Union. Below is what will happen on that day:
WHAT WILL MPS DEBATE?
PM May will make a statement to parliament on February 13 updating lawmakers on her progress so far in seeking changes to her deal. The debate on February 14 will be on a motion — a proposal put forward for debate — about Brexit more generally. The previous similar debate on January 29 was on a motion which simply asked lawmakers to agree that they had considered May’s latest statement on the Brexit negotiations.
CAN LAWMAKERS PROPOSE CHANGES?
Yes. As with the January 29 debate, lawmakers will be able to propose changes, known as amendments. It is likely that many amendments similar to those debated on January 29 will be proposed, including attempts to shift control of the process away from government and give parliament a chance to define Brexit. As with January 29, if these are successful they could have a profound effect, giving lawmakers who want to block, delay or renegotiate Brexit a ■ possible legal route to do so.
With the EU saying so far that they are not willing to reopen talks on the Withdrawal Agreement, other lawmakers are likely to propose alternatives to May’s deal to gauge support for them and persuade the prime minister to change course by seeking closer EU ties or holding a second referendum.
An attempt by Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper and Conservative Nick Boles to give parliament the power to request a delay to Britain’s March 29 exit was defeated by lawmakers on January 29, but Boles said he would renew that effort on February 14 if a deal has not been passed by then.
WILL THERE BE VOTES?
The Speaker, John Bercow, will decide whether to select any of the amendments for a vote. Lawmakers will vote on each of the selected amendments one by one, before voting to give final approval to the wording of the motion itself. Before the debate begins, lawmakers will have to agree to the proposed timetable for the debate, currently just one day.
WILL IT DEFINITELY GO AHEAD?
If May succeeds in winning changes to her Brexit deal in the next few days she could bring it back for a debate and vote before February 14, and this more general debate would not go ahead.
However she is not expected to secure any changes before then. British media have reported a fresh vote on May’s deal is most likely to happen in the week of February 25 at the earliest. The government will give parliament another chance to debate the issue by February 27 using the same format described above, if a deal has not been agreed before then.