“ Government loses control of Brexit “

BBC NEWS


MPs have voted to take control of Commons business in an unprecedented move to try to find a majority for any Brexit option.

The government was defeated by 329 votes to 302 on the cross-party amendment, a majority of 27.

Thirty Tory MPs voted against the government, including three ministers - Richard Harrington, Alistair Burt and Steve Brine.

The three have now resigned from their junior ministerial jobs.

Labour's Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer called the government's defeat "humiliating".

Speaking after the vote, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he would like to "congratulate" the House of Commons "for taking control".

Ministers, he says, must "take this process seriously".

MPs should consider a range of alternatives, including “whether any deal should be put to the people for a confirmatory vote”, he adds.

Following the vote, Sir Keir tweeted: "Another humiliating defeat for a prime minister who has lost complete control of her party, her Cabinet and of the Brexit process.

"Parliament has fought back - and now has the chance to decide what happens next."

Theresa May had tried to head off a defeat by offering MPs a series of votes on Brexit alternatives, organised by the government.

She said allowing MPs to take over the Commons agenda would have set an "unwelcome precedent".

But supporters of the amendment, tabled by Conservative MP Sir Oliver Letwin, said they did not trust the government to give MPs a say on the full range of Brexit options.

The so-called indicative votes are set to take place on Wednesday.

MPs will be able to vote on a series of options - likely to include a "softer Brexit" and another referendum - designed to test the will of Parliament to see what, if anything, commands a majority.

The prime minister said she was "sceptical" about the process - as was not guaranteed to produce a majority for any one course of action - and she would not commit the government to abiding by the result.

"No government could give a blank cheque to commit to an outcome without knowing what it is," she told MPs.

"So I cannot commit the government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this House. But I do commit to engaging constructively with this process."

The government narrowly defeated a bid by Labour's Dame Margaret Beckett to give MPs a vote on asking for another Brexit extension if a deal has not been approved by 5 April. Dame Margaret's amendment was voted down by 314 to 311, a majority of three.

The three ministerial resignations tonight put the total number of resignations from Theresa May's government at 29 outside reshuffles.

That's the same number as Blair and four more than Thatcher, according to Institute for Government data.

Theresa May has been Prime Minister for less than three years. Blair was PM for a little over ten years while Thatcher held the job for over eleven years.

The vote is not binding

The vote is not binding

All it means is that the commons will vote on several options for brexit, but the government can just ignore it

The end is nigh if we have mp's taking over the asylum ?

The end is nigh if we have mp's taking over the asylum ?

Can't feck it any more than this government has and that's looking at it from a brexit point of view.

her deal will get through in the end its not perfect but its better than remain

her deal will get through in the end its not perfect but its better than remain

no it isn't...

her deal will get through in the end its not perfect but its better than remain

I wish I had your faith Wez. I think its gone. I'm on her side, she represents my view but her strategy has been poor at almost every turn. She had no chance as there is no consensus to be had in parliament bar remaining. Now they have the wind in their sails and the belief that public opinion is behind them. Right now I fear a Corbyn government more than I fear non Brexit. He's the original Ice cream van politician.
" Free ice creams for all " .
" Who pays ? "
" No- one, they're free "

Someone pays.

The end is nigh if we have mp's taking over the asylum ?

Can't feck it any more than this government has and that's looking at it from a brexit point of view.

Probably right at least can give lunatics medication
To control them ? Mps need a stick of dynamite up their arses to do same!