Brexit news latest: Theresa May retreats on Brexit giving MPs a vote on delaying March 29 departure date

MPs to vote on delay to March 29 departure PM effectively takes No Deal off the table Follow our LIVE Brexit updates here

Joe Murphy @JoeMurphyLondonPolitical Editor

26 February 2019

Theresa May staged a humiliating climbdown today by saying MPs can postpone Brexit and stop a no-deal departure from the European Union.

Forced to act by a threat of mass ministerial resignations before a stormy Cabinet meeting this morning, the Prime Minister stood up in the Commons and promised MPs she was bowing to their will.

It marked the collapse of Mrs May’s ability to threaten Parliament and European leaders with an ultimatum of “my deal or no deal”.

“I know that members are worried that time is running out,” Mrs May conceded. “I know too that members across the House are deeply concerned about the effect of the uncertainty on businesses.”

Laughter and jeering broke out in the chamber as she told MPs she would “stick to” these new promises “as I have previous commitments”.

Mrs May teased the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford with the meerkat’s catchphrase from Compare the Market’s TV ads, telling him: “If he wants to end uncertainty ... he should vote for a deal. Simples.”

As revealed in yesterday’s Evening Standard, Mrs May offered MPs a vote on a “short, limited extension of Article 50” that effectively defuses the no-deal timebomb rather than take it off the table herself. It will take place on March 13 if Mrs May’s own withdrawal deal is rejected again by MPs at its next meaningful vote, due no later than March 12.

In addition there will be a separate vote on whether to leave without a deal, so that it would only happen with the “explicit consent” of the House.

Earlier there were arguments in Cabinet. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss criticised “kamikaze” tactics of Remainers who threatened publicly to resign.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson warned that any delay could be a long one, adding the EU would dictate the duration. The Prime Minister’s climbdown prompted rumblings on the party’s pro-Brexit Right wing and among her Northern Irish DUP allies — but no resignations. DUP leader Arlene Foster told Bloomberg: “I don’t think an extension is going to solve any of the issues that are already there. Often in negotiations you need that compression of time to come to a deal.”

Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister who is vice-chairman of the European Research Group, indicated his concern by tweeting a quote from Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister, who said it was “delusional” to hope for a better deal by extending Article 50.

Mrs May told the Commons: “I know members across the House are genuinely worried that time is running out ... that if the Government does not come back with a further meaningful vote, or if it loses that vote, Parliament won’t have time to make its voice heard on the next steps.”

She pledged three further commitments. “First, we will hold a second meaningful vote by Tuesday March 12 at the latest,” she said.

“Second, if the Government has not won a meaningful vote by Tuesday March 12, then it will … table a motion to be voted on by Wednesday March 13 at the latest, asking this House if it supports leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement and a framework for a future relationship on March 29.

“So the UK will only leave without a deal on March 29 if there is explicit consent in the House for that outcome.

“Third, if the House, having rejected leaving with the deal negotiated with the EU, then rejects leaving on March 29 without a withdrawal agreement and future framework, the Government will on March 14 bring forward a motion on whether Parliament wants to seek a short, limited extension to Article 50.”

Mrs May has repeatedly claimed that there would be no delay to Brexit. On January 14, she said: “We are leaving on March 29.”

In the Commons on January 21 she told MPs that she was seeking a deal “such that we can and will leave the European Union on 29 March”.

But yesterday Mrs May’s line changed to: “It is still within our grasp to leave the European Union with a deal on March 29.”

Resignation threats were made by senior ministers including Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark.

But the big-name Brexit-backers in Cabinet, including Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom, showed no sign of threatening to resign in protest. One Tory source said the ministers were sounding “sheepish” when asked if they would try to block Mrs May.

One middle-ranking minister who had been contemplating resigning said: “This is a momentous day because the threat of our country crashing out of the EU appears to have been averted.”

Sterling rose 0.44 per cent to 1.157 euro this morning, reaching its highest level since the end of January.

MORE ABOUT

Brexit

Theresa May

Article 50

Brexit news latest: Theresa May retreats on Brexit giving MPs a vote on delaying March 29 departure date

Read More