Saturday, February 15

May to force on third vote on Brexit deal


 

 

Theresa May will defy John Bercow and find a way through to stage a third vote on her twice-defeated Brexit deal next week, a Cabinet minister has insisted.

Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, revealed the prime minister would attempt to get around the Speaker’s shock ruling that identical votes cannot be restaged after defeats by arguing she had secured changes.

One option was to insist the EU agreeing an extension to Article 50 to delay Brexit day constituted a different motion, or to agree changes that satisfied the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

However, he ducked whether MPs would still retain a veto over an Article 50 extension, even if agreed by the prime minister with the EU on Thursday.

International agreements are reached at council level, but obviously the government will always listen to the will of the House, the Brexit secretary said.

However, the Brexit secretary who voted against an Article 50 extension last week, after urging MPs to back it – refused to say he would support it next week, saying: I don’t think my constituents want to see a long delay.

Both supporters of a no-deal Brexit and a fresh referendum expressed delight at the Speaker’s ruling, both believing it made their favoured option more likely.