Brexit news: UK to request Article 50 extension to delay EU exit until at least June
May finally wins a key showdown but cabinet unity in tatters as top ministers oppose her motion
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Your support makes all the difference.MPs have overwhelmingly voted to delay Brexit after the Commons backed a motion ordering Theresa May to ask the EU to extend article 50 until at least June.
Amid dramatic scenes, Labour provoked fury among pro-EU MPs by abstaining on a bid for a Final Say referendum, which was defeated by 249 votes.
Rebel calls to allow parliament to take control of the Brexit process through "indicative votes" were also defeated, though narrowly.
It comes after the US president Donald Trump also made an explosive intervention into the debate, saying a public vote would be "unfair" and he was "surprised at how badly" the Brexit talks had gone.
But worryingly for Ms May cabinet unity crumbled when it came to a free vote on the government's Brexit delay motion.
Eight of her top ministers voted against it – and a further 180 Conservative MPs did likewise.
Ms May will now eye a third vote on her withdrawal agreement while Britain asks the EU for a delay to the date of its exit from the bloc.
See below how we covered Thursday's events live
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has issued a bullish statement on the Bloody Sunday prosecutions. Note that he has made no reference to the victims in his comments.
He said: "We are indebted to those soldiers who served with courage and distinction to bring peace to Northern Ireland.
"The welfare of our former service personnel is of the utmost importance and we will offer full legal and pastoral support to the individual affected by today’s decision. This includes funding all his legal costs and providing welfare support.
“The Ministry of Defence is working across government to drive through a new package of safeguards to ensure our armed forces are not unfairly treated.
“And the government will urgently reform the system for dealing with legacy issues. Our serving and former personnel cannot live in constant fear of prosecution.”
Donald Trump has made a last-minute Brexit intervention - claiming his administration is looking forward to "negotiating a large scale Trade Deal with the UK" - after reportedly being lobbied to do so by Nigel Farage.
The former Ukip leader is said to have asked the American president to support the UK leaving the EU without a deal during a meeting in Washington this month.
More here:
Wow - John Bercow has chosen some explosive amendments for debate today. The Brexiteers will be furious that he has selected a second referendum amendment - and also a highly provocative bid by Chris Bryant to forbid further votes on Ms May's deal.
There is a huge row brewing over these choices. Brexiteer Mark Francois immediately kicks off about the fact that he has NOT selected the amendment to reject a second referendum.
This is likely to reignite the row between John Bercow and his detractors - who consider the Speaker to be too pro-EU and too pro-Labour in his decisions.
Bercow is due to stand down in the summer but he has been dragging his feet. Expect this to run on...
David Lidington is now opening the debate for the government. He says he is going to start by looking at the Brexit delay motion before moving onto the amendments.
To recap - the amendments include:
- Amendment H, tabled by Independent Group MP Sarah Wollaston and which seeks an Article 50 extension to stage a second referendum with Remain and Parliament's preferred Brexit option on the ballot paper.
- Amendment I, tabled by Labour's Hilary Benn and which seeks to allow MPs to take control of the Brexit process.
- Amendment E, Labour's amendment which notes that Parliament has "decisively" rejected both Theresa May's deal and no deal and calls for a delay to Brexit "to provide parliamentary time for this House to find a majority for a different approach".
- Amendment J, Labour MP Chris Bryant's amendment to stop a third meaningful vote on Mrs May's deal.
Are you keeping up?
Lidington is not making a lot of progress with his speech as MPs keep intervening. Tensions are running high.
Here is the motion the government has tabled.
UK’S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
Until 5.00pm (if the Business of the House (Today) motion is agreed to)
The Prime Minister
That this House:
1. notes the resolutions of the House of 12 and 13 March, and accordingly agrees the Government will seek to agree with the European Union an extension of the period specified in Article 50(3);
2. agrees that if the House has passed a resolution approving the negotiated
withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future relationship for the
purposes of section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 by
20 March 2019 then the Government will seek to agree with the European Union
a one-off extension of the period specified in Article 50(3) for a period ending on
30 June 2019 for the purpose of passing the necessary EU exit legislation; and
3. notes that if the House has not passed a resolution approving the negotiated
withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future relationship for the
purposes of section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 by 20
March 2019 then it is highly likely the European Council at its meeting the following
day would require a clear purpose for any extension, not least to determine its length,
and any extension beyond 30 June 2019 would require the United Kingdom to hold
European Parliament elections in May 2019.
David Lidington says there could be a short technical delay to allow the exit to be sorted out.
Interestingly - If May is unable to get her deal passed, the government will allow the House a series of indicative votes over the two weeks after the European Council summit, he says.
Is this an attempt to take the heat out of the Cooper/Letwin/Benn amendment?
He said: "We basically have two options.
"First, if the House approved a meaningful vote by March 20 and agreed a timetable for the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill, we could expect the European Union to agree to a short technical extension to allow the necessary legislation to be carried through.
"If that proves, for whatever reason, not to be possible we would be faced with the prospect of choosing only a long extension, during which the House would need to face up to the choices in front of it and the consequences of the decisions that it has taken.
"But the government recognises the House will require time to consider the potential ways forward in such a scenario.
"In such a scenario the government, having consulted the usual channels at that time, would facilitate a process in the two weeks after the March European Council to allow the House to seek a majority on the way forward."
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