Theresa May could abandon plans to enshrine the day of Britain’s departure from the European Union in law after Remainers inflicted a “humiliating” defeat on her government last night.
The amendment, which would have spelled out in no uncertain terms that Britain’s membership of the European Union terminates at 11 pm GMT on March 29th, 2019, was devised to reassure voters that her Remainer-dominated government does intend to deliver on the public’s vote to leave, at least in name.
But after Tory rebels supported by left-liberal opposition parties were able to pass an amendment to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill tabled by former Attorney-General Dominic Grieve, handing Parliament a veto over the Brexit deal, she may not feel she has the strength to deliver even that.
“Parliament took back control tonight by working across parties,” crowed Labour’s David Lammy, indicating that an anti-Brexit consensus has formed throughout Britain’s establishment political class.
“I hope very much [another rebellion] won’t be necessary because if the government comes back with that date I’m sure the government will be defeated and I have no desire to defeat the government or be involved in the government’s defeat a second time,” a triumphant Grieve told BBC Newsnight, evidently confident of his ability to shut down the Brexit process at will following his initial success.
Well done Dominic Grieve and the Tories who voted with him. You’ve completely undermined the Prime Minister in her negotiations with the EU. Her word means almost nothing now.
— Tim Montgomerie (@montie) December 13, 2017
It was previously planned that Parliament — which already voted to give the public a direct say on Britain’s membership of the European Union, as well as to allow the Government to activate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and begin the Brexit process — would be faced with a ‘Deal or No Deal’ decision on the terms negotiated between the UK and the EU.
If MPs chose not to support the deal, Britain would still leave European Union and deal with it on a normal third-party basis, like the United States or China.
However, Grieve’s amendment leaves open the possibility of Parliament could block Brexit entirely if it does not like the deal put before it — incentivising Brussels to keep Britain in the EU by offering poor terms.
Top eurocrats have already been meeting with leading Remainers such as former prime minister Tony Blair and the “Unholy Trinity” of Nick Clegg from the Liberal Democrats, Ken Clarke from the Tory Party, and Lord Adonis from Labour — who boasted that the Grieve amendment’s success was the “First step towards defeat of Brexit” last night.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.