British lawmakers win vote to debate bill authorising Brexit delay

Robert Stevens

MPs voted Tuesday evening to take control of parliament’s business and pursue the passage of a cross-party bill to prevent the Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson from leaving the European Union (EU) without a trade and customs deal.

MPs backed the motion to allow a debate on the bill today by 328 votes to 301, a majority of 27. Twenty-one Tory MPs rebelled despite threats to withdraw the party whip and prevent them from standing for re-election for the party.

Responding to the defeat, Johnson said he would table a motion Wednesday for a vote on holding general election before October 17—the final date that European Union (EU) leaders are able to agree a deal with the UK on its exit terms.

The emergency debate went ahead after the Speaker, John Bercow, allowed an application from Oliver Letwin, a fellow Tory Remainer. The bill, sponsored by Labour Blairite Hilary Benn would force Johnson to request that the EU agree to delay Brexit until January 31, 2020 unless MPs had approved a new deal, or voted in favour of a no-deal exit, by October 19. It also mandates the EU to dictate further Brexit delays. Benn stated, “If the European Council agrees to an extension to the 31 January 2020, then the Prime Minister must immediately accept that extension. If the European Council proposes an extension to a different date then the Prime Minister must accept that extension within two days, unless the House of Commons rejects it.”

Taking control of parliamentary business and passing the bill was the response of the “Rebel Alliance” of opposition parties, led by the Labour Party, to Johnson’s authoritarian move last week to prorogue parliament from September 9, 10 or 11 for five weeks. Johnson did this as opposition MPs made clear they would oppose a no-deal Brexit in this session of parliament.

The representatives of the Remain wing of the ruling elite have been plotting how to prevent a no-deal Brexit since Johnson replaced Theresa May as prime minister in July. On Monday evening, Johnson in a televised address from Downing Street reiterated that there were “no circumstances in which I will ask Brussels to delay.”

The debate took place in extraordinary circumstances, with the Tories losing their working majority of just one MP—even as Johnson made a statement to Parliament prior to the emergency debate on last week’s G7 Summit. Tory MP and former Justice Minister Phillip Lee crossed the floor of the House to join the Liberal Democrats.

On Sunday, a senior source in the whips’ office said, “The whips are telling Conservative MPs today a very simple message—if they fail to vote with the government on Tuesday they will be destroying the government’s negotiating position and handing control of parliament to [Labour leader] Jeremy Corbyn… Any Conservative MP who does this will have the whip withdrawn and will not stand as a Conservative candidate in an election.”

Among those threatened are Ken Clarke, the pro-EU Father of the House (its longest serving member) who has been an MP since 1970, May’s former Chancellor Philip Hammond and even the grandson of Winston Churchill, Sir Nicholas Soames.