Brexit votes: When are the key debates, what will be decided and where can I watch them?
Three possible ballots in three days will decide Britain's immediate future
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Your support makes all the difference.With a little over three weeks to go before the UK’s Brexit deadline arrives, Theresa May's negotiating team is bogged down in diplomatic deadlock.
Neither Leavers nor Remainers are happy and the last time a “meaningful vote” was held on her deal with the EU on 15 January it was defeated resoundingly in the Commons by 432-202.
Next up, three possible votes in three days will decide Britain's future.
The debates will determine whether to accept the PM's deal, go it alone with no deal or whether to delay the big day and return to the negotiating table.
Here's what you need to know.
What are MPs voting on?
The first of the upcoming votes will be a “meaningful” ballot in the House of Commons, giving MPs a final say on the PM’s 585-page Brexit deal with the EU. It’s a simple question – yes or no.
If she wins the day and manages to overturn that humiliating 230-vote deficit from January, perhaps with a boost from new concessions secured by attorney-general Geoffrey Cox, Brexit will press on according to plan at 11pm on 29 March 2019.
Should she lose, having failed to garner support from Tory hardliners in the European Research Group and the DUP, the PM will be forced to table a motion in the Commons asking for “explicit consent” to press on with a no-deal Brexit.
Again, the question is yes or no but opposition to a no-deal exit is fierce in some quarters: secretary of state for work and pensions Amber Rudd, for one, has threatened to resign rather than pursue this course.
If this passes, the UK will leave on 29 March with no deal, an outcome leaving the country with only basic trading terms and all manner of border uncertainty, portside chaos and even food and medicine shortages waiting to be unleashed.
If ministers rebel again, however, there will be a third vote on whether to delay Brexit and extend the Article 50 negotiating period by as much as three months, potentially allowing the government until the end of June to resume negotiations with Europe.
Whether all 27 member states of the EU would accept and whether Ms May can withstand the pressure after suffering further defeats are fresh questions to which the answers are at present unclear.
When are they voting?
The first vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal is scheduled for Tuesday 12 March.
Assuming it does not pass, the second on proceeding with a no-deal scenario will take place a day later on Wednesday 13 March.
If consent is not given, the third on extending the negotiating period will follow on Thursday 14 March.
How can I watch the votes in the UK?
The Independent will be covering all the drama live on our site and streaming live from the Commons on our Facebook and Twitter channels.
How can I watch the votes from Europe or the US?
If you’re overseas, you can likewise follow The Independent's coverage on our homepage and on social media.
Alternatively, Parliament TV, Westminster’s answer to CSPAN, is available in other territories.
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