PM is criticised for pushing back the ‘meaningful vote’ to January
Ex-Minister says that firms ‘need certainty’
THERESA MAY has been criticised by senior backbenchers for pushing the “meaningful vote” on her Brexit deal back to mid January.
Tory former education secretary Nicky Morgan said MPs should “not be going on holiday for two weeks” while the issue was still unresolved.
Ms Morgan, who chairs the Commons Treasury committee, told the Prime Minister that businesses “need certainty and the country needs reassurance” after she announced the vote on her deal would be held in the week beginning January 14.
She said: “The Prime Minister and her statement talked about empowering this House, but the trouble is, is that she is asking this House to accept a deferral for several weeks of the meaningful vote on the draft withdrawal agreement on the basis that further assurances can be agreed with the European Union.
“But there is nothing in what she has said today or what has been reported from the EU Council that those further assurances are likely to be given.”
“I honestly do not think that businesses and employers and our constituents will understand why this House is going on holiday for two weeks when we should be having the meaningful vote this week,” she added.
Tory former minister Jonathan Djanogly echoed the warning, saying: “What’s coming back to me from business, from industry, from the City, is that we are haemorrhaging support and investment on a daily basis and it’s getting worse, which is why I add to other honourable members in saying please, do think again in holding this vote, in holding a series of standalone resolutions which mean that we can take a view and move on.”
Mrs May said businesses supported her deal and said there were “no plans for indicative votes”.
Tory former chief whip Andrew Mitchell suggested Mrs May extend Article 50 to avoid leaving with no deal.
But Mrs May responded: “I don’t think it’s right to be seeking that extension to Article 50.”
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) later congratulated Mrs May “on winning the confidence of the Conservatives in this House last week”, adding that he wanted to “assure her that she therefore commands my confidence too”.
He said he did not back another referendum, saying it was “better known as the losers’ vote”, saying that it would be “undemocratic” and “divisive”.
The leading Brexiteer added: “But also because it would be very hard to deny a second referendum in Scotland, if we had a second referendum on membership of the European Union.”
Mrs May thanked him for his support, adding that the UK has “accepted the decision we have taken” in numerous referendums over the decades and not gone back to the people.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) claimed the EU was “clinging limpet-like” to Mrs May’s deal because it would allow them to extract further concessions. He said: “The reason the EU is clinging limpet-like to this agreement is they know they have got concessions in this agreement which will enable them when it comes to the future trade arrangements to extract even more concessions from the UK Government.
“Would she not be far better now to walk away with £39bn in her pocket, her hands free, and able to do the kind of work any government should want to do to make this country prosperous?”
But the Prime Minister said there would still be financial obligations to the EU even in a nodeal Brexit. Tory Remainer Heidi Allen said, if Mrs May “really believes” the views of her constituents are important, she would hold a second referendum.