PM offers a vote on the customs union – but after Brexit

Johnson to give MPS a say on relationship with EU, as opponents plan to sabotage his Bill with amendments

BORIS JOHNSON will offer MPS a vote on the customs union after Britain leaves the European Union to try to see off an attempt to thwart his Brexit deal.

The move is designed to drain support from a customs union amendment which opposition MPS will today attach to the Prime Minister’s Brexit Bill. If it passes, the amendment is expected to derail the UK’S departure on Oct 31.

The Withdrawal Agreement Bill includes the provision to give Parliament a say in negotiations over the future relationship with the EU. MPS are expected to have a say on whether they want the customs union to be part of that.

The plan is based on a past amendment by Labour MPS Lisa Nandy and Gareth Snell, which would have given Parliament a vote on the Government’s future negotiating mandate. It is understood the plan is popular with the 21 Tory rebels, 14 of whom have previously voted for a customs union.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party will today try to push through another plan to derail Brexit. Opposition MPS are expected to vote down the “programme motion” the Government will table to set out how its Brexit Bill may get through. The motion sets out plans for forthcoming sittings in the Commons and defines the amount of time given to each stage of the legislation.

The Government will try to introduce late-night and weekend sittings to pass the Bill in time for Oct 31. One MP said the three-day timetable for the Bill is “causing outrage in the Chamber. They are treating Parliament with absolute contempt.” If the motion is defeated,

‘If you make significant alterations, it is possible we would not be able to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement’

the Government will find it much harder to get the legislation through in time to leave by Hallowe’en.

Yesterday, Rory Stewart suggested he may oppose an accelerated motion. He said: “There is going to be tension between the Prime Minister’s commit

ment to get this done by Oct 31 and Parliament’s desire to get the time to scrutinise. Big supporters of Boris Johnson will say Parliament has had three years to scrutinise this; let’s get this done. Other people, including me, will be saying no – I think we need to get more time to get this done, even if it means we have to go a few days beyond Oct 31.”

Kenneth Clarke, the former chancellor, also argued against rushing the Bill through and said the Oct 31 deadline was “plucked from the air”.

MPS will hear the second reading of the Bill today but the Opposition is planning to hijack the legislation by putting down an amendment for a customs union. Nick Thomas-symonds, the shadow solicitor general, said: “A customs union is going to be one of the amendments that comes through and that is something that is going to have a very good chance of getting a majority.”

The Liberal Democrats are also expected to back the amendment. One MP said: “There is an obvious motive to vote for it because it would wreck the Bill.” If it secures support from the SNP and some Tory rebels and independents, the amendment could pass.

Labour was also expected to whip its MPS to vote in favour of an amendment for a “confirmatory vote” on the deal, which would give the public the final say on the deal in a second referendum.

A third, so-called “trap door” amendment, would also seek to remove the risk of a no-deal Brexit at the end of the transition period in December 2020.

No10 argued for a “straight up-anddown vote” on Mr Johnson’s deal and was opposed to the customs union and second referendum amendments, warning that if the legislation “steps too far away” from what has been agreed with Brussels, then it may not be ratified by the EU.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “If you make significant alterations, it is very possible we would not be able to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement or the Political Declaration.

“You cannot alter the substance or the intent or the Withdrawal Agreement or the Political Declaration.”

Labour frontbenchers yesterday denied that they were trying to sabotage Mr Johnson’s Brexit plan through the amendments. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are not attempting to wreck it, we are attempting to safeguard the British economy, safeguard jobs and safeguard public services.”