Government backtracks over claim that Plan B debate would last just 90 minutes

The government has rowed back on suggestions that, if Theresa May’s deal is defeated, a debate on a Brexit plan B would only last for an hour and a half.

Chief Whip Julian Smith said “no decision” had been made on the format of the debate, hours after Downing Street said there would “only be 90 minutes of debate on the motion” and that “only one amendment could be selected”.

It comes after MPs approved an amendment to the timetable of the Withdrawal Agreement, laid by Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve, which asks the government to outline a revised Brexit plan within three sitting days if Mrs May’s deal is defeated next week.

The original process, as outlined in law, requires a statement within 21 days of the deal being rejected.

But Mr Smith, in response to a point of order in the Commons from Labour former minister Yvette Cooper, said: “No decision along the lines of what she has said, and the government will do everything it can to ensure that the House is fully consulted in every eventuality next week, and the information that she has is not correct.”

Speaker John Bercow had earlier explained that under parliamentary procedures, debates under such standing orders had to be concluded in 90 minutes, but added: “However it’s also true to say that such provision is often disapplied by an order of the House.

“It’s perfectly open to the government if such a situation were to arise to provide for a much fuller debate.”