BREXIT... ON MAY’S TERMS
MPs back Bill in landslide vote Labour rebel quits frontbench
THERESA May got her own way last night as MPs gave Brexit the green light and a shadow minister quit.
The Commons voted 494 to 122 in favour of giving the Prime Minister the power to trigger Article 50 in the Brexit Bill’s third and final reading.
The result means the Bill has passed unamended and will go to the Lords on February 20 – where peers are unlikely to oppose it.
The Government hopes it will win final approval in the first week of March and reports suggest Mrs May could trigger Article 50 on March 9 when she attends an EU summit in Brussels, the day after the Budget.
CONSCIENCE
Last night Labour were again split, with 52 of their 229 MPs defying leader Jeremy Corbyn to vote against the Bill.
But Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, feeling better after the migraine that made her miss last week’s vote, said she was backing Brexit with a heavy heart and fears it will be “disastrous”.
She said: “The Shadow Cabinet agreed we’d vote for the third reading of triggering Article 50 – and I did that.”
But one Labour MP claimed she had to be almost dragged through the voting lobby by disgraced pal Keith Vaz.
Among the Labour rebels was Shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis – who resigned minutes before the vote.
The MP for pro-Remain Norwich South said: “I cannot in good conscience vote for something I believe will ulti- mately harm the city I have the honour to represent, love and call home.”
Mr Corbyn insisted the parting was amicable and added: “I understand the difficulties for MPs representing constituencies which voted Remain.”
Shadow Environment Secretary Rachael Maskell, Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens and Shadow Diverse Communities Minister Dawn Butler quit ahead of the first vote. A further 10 junior shadow ministers and three whips could also yet be sacked after ignoring Mr Corbyn’s three-line whip.
By contrast only one Tory – Ken Clarke – voted against the Bill last night. A further series of amendments included a demand from Labour’s Chuka Umunna for a report estimating how health spending will be hit.
It aimed to flush out Vote Leave’s claim Brexit will hand the Government an extra £350million a week for the NHS but was voted down by 337 to 288.
A Lib Dem demand for a second EU referendum was also rejected.
A Government source warned that the Lords could be scrapped if it dares to block the Bill. The source said: “The Lords will face an overwhelming public call to be abolished if they now try to frustrate this bill – they must get on and deliver the will of the people.”