Brexit vote: MPs fail to agree on alternative plan, increasing risk of UK crashing out of EU without a deal

MPs have failed again to agree on an alternative Brexit plan, increasing the risk of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal next week.

In a second series of “indicative votes”, two options were only narrowly rejected: to keep the UK in the EU customs union – or in both the single market and a customs arrangement.

The Commons also turned down putting any agreed deal to a Final Say referendum – and rejected revoking Article 50 if the UK is close to the no-deal Brexit cliff-edge.

The results were followed by Nick Boles, the Conservative MP behind the “Common market 2.0” plan for the single market and customs arrangement, dramatically quitting the Tory whip on the Commons floor.

Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, said the cabinet would discuss the impasse tomorrow – but pointed out the UK was due to leave the EU in just 11 days’ time, with no deal in sight.

However, Final Say supporters were cheered that their option won more votes than a week ago, securing 280 and losing by just 12 – the narrowest defeat.

Peter Kyle, one of the Labour sponsors of the motion, urged colleagues to “see how minorities can be brought together” to still achieve a Commons consensus.

Some potential supporters of the customs union and single market options refused to back them – because their movers refused to agree these paths should then be put to a public vote

There was applause for Mr Boles when he made his shock resignation, telling MPs: “I have failed chiefly because my party refuses to compromise. I regret, therefore, to announce that I can no longer sit for this party.”

MPs voted on the four options, whittled down from the eight potential alternatives to the prime minister’s thrice-defeated plan, none of which secured a majority a week ago.

The four options were:

* A “permanent and comprehensive” customs union, put forward by Ken Clarke, the former Conservative chancellor with Labour support – defeated by 276-273 votes.

* “Common market 2.0”, a cross-party bid to keep the UK in the single market and a “customs arrangement”, with support from both Labour and the Scottish Nationalists – defeated by 282-261.

* A confirmatory public vote, requiring a Final Say referendum on any Brexit deal before its ratification – defeated by 292-280.

* Parliamentary supremacy, put forward by the SNP’s Joanna Cherry and calling for Article 50 to be revoked if a crash-out Brexit looms and a no-deal has been rejected – defeated by 292-191.

Conservative MPs were given a free vote on all the options, although cabinet ministers had again been told to abstain.

In a letter to Labour MPs, Jeremy Corbyn acknowledged “vastly different and passionately held views”, but had urged support for common market 2.0 “to break the deadlock”.

He stressed that Labour was still pushing its plan for alignment with the single market and would “keep all options on the table, including campaigning for a public vote”.