The Brexit monster eats up more parliamentary time as the never-ending psychodrama takes rumbles on
THE Brexit monster has caused yet more turmoil to Britain’s battered political system.
First up this week was Jeremy Corbyn, who on Monday performed a humiliating U-turn on a People’s Vote. It is not difficult to see why the Labour leader decided, against his own instincts, to back the option.
A poll, which asked people their voting preferences were Westminster’s newly-formed centrist group a fully-fledged party, produced some alarming numbers for the Labour leader.
It put the Tories on 36 per cent, a not insubstantial 13 points ahead of Labour on 23 with TIG on 18 and the Liberal Democrats on six. But if TIG and the Libdems were to merge at some point – as some hope – then on these numbers, the combined force would put Labour into third place. Food for thought.
Next up was Theresa May, who, less than 24 hours after saying what a pointless exercise delaying Brexit would be, announced she was paving the way for a delay to Brexit.
Cries of betrayal and plots continued to ping around the oak-panelled walls of Westminster from both sides of the political divide.
Today, MPS will, yes, have yet another vote.
Mrs May’s ploy of offering an extension vote on March 14 has also seemingly scuppered Yvette Cooper’s bid to empower Parliament to ensure no deal is taken off the table.
The co-sponsor of her amendment, the former Tory
Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin, took to Twitter to say he was removing his support for it, declaring the PM’S move meant “no need now for Cooper-letwin bill”.
So the only drama tonight could come from a Labourbacked Tory amendment on citizens’ rights.
Conservative backbencher Alberto Costa has predicted an “enormous defeat” for Mrs May unless she gives in to demands to seek a separate treaty on citizens’ rights after Brexit. However, the Scot’s defiance could cost him his job as Scottish Secretary David Mundell’s parliamentary private secretary.
The focus will quickly turn to mid-march when MPS are set to have not one, not two, but three votes – respectively on the PM’S new-look plan, a no deal and extending Article 50.
While Mrs May insists progress is being made, the UK-EU talks seem as far away from a resolution as ever; the assumption at Westminster is that whatever the PM returns with on March 12 will not be enough.
She was coy yesterday about how she and her Government would vote on no-deal. Rightly so, as by then it could be Brexiter ministers and not Remainers threatening resignation.
Then will come the crunch third vote, on extension. In such circumstances this will pass. But the key question will be: how long will the delay be?
Mrs May wants it “as short as possible”. But MPS could successfully amend the motion to extend Article 50 for months.
Whatever timeline MPS agree, there is then the little matter of getting the EU27 to endorse it.
By then, Brussels will have the UK over a barrel because, if it were not to agree, there would be nothing to stop the country crashing out of the bloc without a deal two weeks later.
Then the Brexit monster might have yet another twist. Asked what would happen if MPS voted against all three options, the PM’S spokesman paused and said: “That would be quite contradictory and an unexpected thing.” But as we know in this psychodrama, anything can happen.