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Brexit: How newspaper front pages reported Theresa May's humiliating defeats in House of Commons

The tumultuous day in British politics features at the top of the news agenda 

Wednesday 05 December 2018 06:04 EST
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Commons vote forces government to publish Brexit legal advice ahead of vote

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Theresa May's Brexit struggles ​dominate the newspapers front pages this morning after she suffered three humiliating defeats in the House of Commons yesterday.

The tumultuous day is at the top of the news agenda as the prime minister’s authority took a pounding ahead of the crucial vote on her Brexit deal on 11 December.

MPs found Ms May's government in contempt of Parliament over ministers' refusal to publish the legal advice on Brexit, while another vote saw the government forced to allow MPs to have a say in what happens if the Brexit deal is rejected.

Here is how the national newspapers reacted to the news:

The front page of The Independent's daily edition led with the news that Dominic Grieve's amendment had been passed, moving Britain one step closer to a Final Say referendum.

MPs made the significant move of backing a plan to give the Commons more power to dictate what happens if the prime minister’s approach fails.

So far more than one million people have signed The Independent's petition calling for a Final Say referendum.

The Daily Mirror led on Ms May's three defeats in the Commons, describing the triple blow as "63 minutes of mayhem" and warning that the prime minister looks to be losing control of her Brexit strategy.

"With the prospect of the PM's Brexit plan being defeated next Tuesday rapidly increasing, these are significant days that will shape our country's future for decades to come", the paper wrote.

Describing Ms May as "weak and wobbly", the leader said: "Either the PM produces a Plan B, or MPs will do it after they've written her off for good."

The Daily Telegraph ran with the headline "The day May lost control" and said the prime minister had suffered humiliation on a historic scale.

Its editorial comment warned the day's events were "emblematic of the mess the Government is in - assailed on all sides and buffeted by events over which it has no control".

The Guardian said Ms May "staggers on" following the defeats, but The Sun said the prime minister "cannot tough this out".

"Her defeats yesterday were body blows for the government and possibly Brexit", The Sun's leader sad.

But the paper does praise Ms May for her "calm determination".

The Daily Mail said Brexit is "on a knife edge" following the Commons defeats and the paper's leader warned that parliament, rather than the government, could end up having "total supremacy in shaping Brexit".

"Just consider how that would shatter the integrity of our democracy and erode what's left of public trust in our political class," it said.

"It should now be clearer than ever that the only hope of salvation is Mrs May's deal."

The Daily Express continued to back the the prime minister and warned Britain's democratic vote had been "thrown into jeopardy".

Its opinion piece said: "It is clear that the deal struck by our courageous and indefatigable prime minister is now the only sure way that Brexit is delivered."

Agencies contributed to this report

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