Brexit news: MPs reject every single indicative vote option as Theresa May vows to quit to get her deal passed
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Your support makes all the difference.MPs have failed to unite around any Brexit strategy after a series of indicative votes revealed no majority in the Commons for any plan.
Attempts to break the Brexit impasse floundered when MPs rejected eight different options, including a fresh referendum, a customs union and a no-deal exit.
In a dramatic day in Westminster, Theresa May told Tory MPs she will resign before the next phase of Brexit talks, in an attempt to secure support for her deal.
Addressing the 1922 committee of backbench Conservatives, the prime minister said she “would not remain in post for the next phase of the negotiations”, making way for a successor once her Brexit deal has passed.
Senior Brexiteers including Boris Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith signalled they would pivot to back the prime minister’s deal – but the DUP dealt Ms May a fresh blow by refusing to support her.
But it seems her offered sacrifice may have been in vain, as the Democratic Unionist Party announced it would not back a deal which “poses an unacceptable threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom”.
In a potentially fatal blow to Ms May’s chances, DUP leader Arlene Foster said the Northern Irish party “cannot sign up” to the deal because of its controversial “backstop” provisions.
Westminster leader Nigel Dodds made clear the party’s 10 MPs will vote against the deal if it is brought back for a third “meaningful vote”, declaring: “The DUP do not abstain on the Union.”
The decision leaves Ms May in need of the votes of large numbers of Labour MPs or rebel Tory Brexiteers, many of whom are expected to be strongly influenced by the DUP’s stance.
She has indicated she will only make a third attempt to pass the deal, following its overwhelming defeat by 230 votes in January and 149 in March, if she has a credible chance of success.
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But will May's promise to resign be enough to get her deal over the line?
Tory MP Anne Marie Morris, a member of the hardline European Research Group, said the announcement would not be enough to persuade her to back her deal.
"I am deeply frustrated. It is not going to do the country any good.
"While most of us feel she is not the right person to lead this country, she is only going to go if her deal passes," she told the BBC Radio 4's PM programme.
"My concern is that too many people will see the prize of Theresa going as enough to sway things. I am certainly voting against this deal."
Boris Johnson is now apparently backing the PM's Brexit deal - see this tweet from his close ally Conor Burns.
Jeremy Corbyn said Theresa May's pledge to step down shows her Brexit negotiations have not been about "principles or the public interest".
He tweeted: "Theresa May's pledge to Tory MPs to stand down if they vote for her deal shows once and for all that her chaotic Brexit negotiations have been about party management, not principles or the public interest.
"A change of government can't be a Tory stitch-up, the people must decide."
Speaker John Bercow has suspended the Commons to allow MPs time for indicative votes.
They have until 7.30pm to cast their ballots on the eight Brexit options.
↵Significant - hacks outside the European Research Group meeting say former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith will back the PM's deal.
Boris Johnson left a meeting of the European Research Group without commenting on his apparent u-turn.
He did not say whether he still believed Theresa May's deal wrapped a "suicide vest'' around the British constitution, as he claimed in 2018.
The voting is over, so the indicative votes ballots are now being counted. We expect the results after 9pm.
The Commons is now starting a 90-minute debate on changing the Brexit date in law. Remember, the UK was supposed to leave the EU on March 29 - which is this Friday. The EU has said it will extend the article 50 negotiations period but the date must be changed in UK law too.
The legal tweak - which is done through something known as a statutory instrument - has to be approved by peers and MPs before Friday.
Bookies are putting Michael Gove as the favourite to succeed Theresa May as Tory leader.
Betfair spokesperson Katie Baylis said: “Following the news that Theresa May will quit once a deal is delivered, Betfair Exchange makes Michael Gove the 4/1 favourite to take over as PM once she goes, with Boris Johnson at 6/1.
“Jeremy Hunt is at 13/2 with his odds shortening from 14/1 in the last half an hour, while David Lidington was the big mover on the next PM market in the last week, and is at 10/1 in what promises to be another intriguing leadership contest.”
Read our piece here.
Prime Minister after Theresa May
Michael Gove – 4/1
Boris Johnson – 6/1
Jeremy Hunt –13/2
Jeremy Corbyn –9/1
David Lidington – 10/1
Sajid Javid – 12/1
Dominic Raab– 13/1
Geoffrey Cox – 13/1
Jacob Rees-Mogg 25/1
Andrea Leadsom - 25/1
Matt Hancock - 43/1
Amber Rudd - 49/1
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