MPS DEFY THE REFUSE CHANCE
DEJECTED MPS left Parliament after the shambolic delay to the Brexit vote and admitted: “The public will not forgive us.”
It was meant to be a historic day in Parliament, the day when more than three tortuous years of Brexit debate would come to an end.
But after almost six hours of debate on the first Saturday sitting of Parliament since the Falklands War, a Remainer alliance of MPS ensured Brexit was again not delivered.
It began with Boris Johnson appealing for consensus and unity and ended with him leading his MPS out of the chamber in disgust at another betrayal.
Sir Oliver Letwin’s amendment – which called for legislation to be agreed before a meaningful vote took place – was passed. It meant the vote on Mr Johnson’s deal was put off.
Tories had begged Sir Oliver to drop the amendment, and “to give the British people what they are dying for, a decision on Brexit”. But it was passed, leaving Brexit in limbo.
The proceedings opened with a statesmanlike speech from the Prime Minister, warning MPS that if they voted for an amendment from Tory rebel Sir Oliver it would render the “meaningful vote” on his deal “meaningless”.
In a bid to bring the warring political factions together, he said: “The House will need no reminding that this is the second deal and the fourth vote, three and a half years after the nation voted for Brexit.
“And during those years, friendships have been strained, families divided and the attention of this House consumed by a single issue that has at times felt incapable of resolution.
“But I hope that this is the moment when we can finally achieve that resolution and reconcile the instincts that compete within us.”
He noted how over the past three decades the UK had only been a “halfhearted” member of the EU and it was time to go. The PM said: “Now is the time for this great House of Commons to come together and bring the country together today as I believe people at home are hoping and expecting, with a new way forward and a new and better deal both for Britain and our friends in the EU, and that is the advantage of the agreement that we have struck with our friends in the last two days.
“Because this new deal allows the UK – whole and entire – to leave the EU on October 31 in accordance with the referendum while simultaneously looking forward to a new partnership based on the closest ties of friendship and co-operation.” He praised the EU for “escaping the prison of existing positions” in hope that MPS may follow suit.
He insisted: “This agreement provides for a real Brexit, taking back control of our borders, laws, money, farming, fisheries and trade, amounting to the greatest single restoration of national sovereignty in Parliamentary history.
“For the first time in almost five decades the UK will be able to strike free trade deals with our friends across the world to benefit the whole country – including Northern Ireland.” But any hope of consensus in Parliament came to an abrupt halt when Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn took to his feet to reply and said the latest deal was “even worse” than Theresa May’s arrangement.
He said: “This Government cannot be trusted and these benches will not be duped.”
The tone of the debate became even more toxic as Ian Blackford, the Westminster leader of the Scottish Nationalists, claimed that Scotland had been “shafted”.
In a bitter tirade he demanded to know why Northern Ireland had been mentioned 13 times and Scotland not once.
Meanwhile Sir Oliver, who had been ejected from the party for attempting to block no-deal with the so-called Surrender Act, stood to justify his wrecking amendment which would eventually carry the day.
He claimed that while he supports the PM’S Brexit deal, his amendment would prevent an unintended no-deal Brexit.
He added: “I’m moving this amendment to ensure that whichever way any future votes may go, today, or next week, or the week after, we can be secure in the knowledge that the UK will have requested an extension tonight, which if granted can be used if and to the extent necessary, and only the extent necessary, to prevent a no-deal exit.”
Members of the European Research
‘We will be able to strike free trade deals across world’