Rival ‘soft exit’ groups tussling for a chance to beat May’s deal
REBEL MPs will launch a fresh attempt to force Theresa May into a soft Brexit tonight by holding votes on alternatives to her deal.
Ministers believe as many as 70 Tory MPs could back a proposal to remain in the EU customs union, which could lead to it winning over a majority of MPs.
Backbenchers led by Sir Oliver Letwin have taken control of the Commons timetable to stage a second round of indicative votes after none of the eight options put to MPs last week won enough support.
If a majority emerges for one of the alternatives tonight, the rebels plan to put down legislation on Wednesday that would force ministers to act.
Former Cabinet minister Ken Clarke, who drew up the customs union plan defeated by just six votes last week, has said he is ‘reasonably confident’ it will get over the line this time.
Meanwhile, supporters of a so- called ‘Common Market 2.0’ proposal that would keep Britain in the customs union and the single market have been seeking to win over DUP and SNP MPs who all abstained when it was voted on last week.
Staying in the single market would involve continued freedom of movement and making contributions to the EU budget, while being in a customs union would prevent Britain from striking its own trade deals.
Nick Boles, the Tory ex-minister behind Common Market 2.0 – rejected by 283 votes to 188 last week – declared last night that it was ‘alive and squawking’.
‘The only reason it scored fewer votes overall was that Labour didn’t whip for it. Tomorrow that might change,’ he said. Tory George Freeman, who backs the idea, said: ‘Only Common Mark 2.0 looks like winning support from all parties.’
The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford said his party’s 35 MPs would not back Mr Clarke’s plan as it would end freedom of movement, but signalled that they could back Common Market 2.0 because they want single-market membership.
It is thought that Labour will order its MPs to back the Boles plan this time, even though continued freedom of movement would go down badly with voters in the party’s Leave-supporting constituencies.
The Conservatives are expected to repeat last week’s tactic, when junior ministers and backbenchers were given a free vote but Mrs May and the 28 ministers who attend Cabinet abstained.
MPs have put forward eight options for tonight’s vote – removing the Irish backstop in Mrs May’s deal, No Deal on April 12, a permanent customs union, Common Market 2.0, revoking Article 50, single market membership and two variations on a second referendum.
This afternoon Speaker John Bercow is expected to select three or four alternatives to go on a ballot paper, with the votes scheduled to take place at 8pm.
Downing Street is considering offering a run-off between Mrs May’s deal and the frontrunner from the indicative votes.
Despite three previous rejections, No10 believes her deal could still prevail because in the first round of the indicative votes on Friday it did better than any alternative.
In an article for Conservative Home, Tory ex-minister Greg Hands yesterday warned that staying in the customs union would be a ‘serious mistake’ and ‘in the medium term be democratically unsustainable’.
‘Common Market 2.0 is alive and squawking’