Hard-line Tory Brexiteers wrestled control of Theresa May’s plan to leave the EU as the PM won support from a majority of MPs to return to Brussels and renegotiate her deal.
On a remarkable night in the House of Commons, of the eight votes that could potentially redefine the course of Brexit, seven of them were favourable towards Mrs May.
In supporting the so-called Brady amendment by a slim majority of 317-301, MPs have given Mrs May a mandate to try to renegotiate the Brexit deal with the EU in which she will seek to replace the controversial Irish backstop with an as-yet unspecified alternative.
Crucially, MPs also rejected a vote that would have forced Mrs May to delay Brexit to avoid crashing out with no deal. However, they also supported a separate vote that stated the House of Commons rejected the no-deal option.
The main difference between the two votes is that the latter is not legally binding and therefore doesn’t box Mrs May into a corner.
Critically, the Brady Amendment has received backing from hard-line Brexiteers, who are staunchly opposed to the Irish backstop, which they say could tie the UK to the EU indefinitely.
Mrs May will now go back to Brussels to come up with alternative arrangements to the backstop. The backstop is in place to stop the return of border checks.
Reaction from the EU was swift, however. Within 10 minutes of the vote, a spokesperson for Donald Tusk said: The backstop is part of the Withdrawal Agreement, and the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for re-negotiation.
The response
Speaking after the vote during a pivotal evening, Mrs May told MPs: It’s now clear there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in this House for leaving the EU with a deal.
We will now take this mandate forward and seek to obtain legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that deal with concerns on the backstop while guaranteeing no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would be willing to enter into Brexit talks with Mrs May.
He said: Now that the House has voted emphatically to reject the no deal option the Prime Minister was supporting could I say we are now prepared to meet her to put forward the points of view from the Labour Party of the kind of deal we want from the European Union.
To protect jobs, to protect livings standards, and to protect rights and conditions in this country.
DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds told the Commons: This is a significant night because for the first time the House by majority has expressed what sort of deal will get through and will have a majority, and we will work with the Prime Minister to deliver the right deal for the United Kingdom.
But the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford claimed that by passing the so-called Brady amendment the Government had ripped up the Good Friday Agreement.
To jeers from Tory MPs he said: We were told the backstop was there to protect the peace process but tonight the Conservative Party has effectively ripped apart the Good Friday Agreement. This House should be ashamed of itself.
He said Scotland had been silenced, sidelined and shafted by the Tories.
An angry Chuka Ummuna hit out at hardline Brexiteers after an amendment tabled by Yvette Cooper to extend Article 50 beyond March 29 was defeated.