Brexit: Theresa May visits EU to seek new assurances on deal

Theresa May faced humiliation after being forced to abandon a vote on her Brexit deal, admitting it 'would have been rejected by a significant margin' if put before MPs.
Theresa May called off a vote in the Commons on her Brexit deal because the Government was certain to loseTheresa May called off a vote in the Commons on her Brexit deal because the Government was certain to lose
Theresa May called off a vote in the Commons on her Brexit deal because the Government was certain to lose

The Prime Minister was accused of “an act of pathetic cowardice” by Nicola Sturgeon, who demanded an immediate vote of confidence in the government.

Mrs May will now tour European capitals in a desperate bid to reopen the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and strip it of the Irish border backstop, which she conceded had caused MPs “widespread and deep concern”.

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The EU Council President Donald Tusk announced that Brexit would be added to the schedule of a summit of European leaders starting on Thursday, but warned Brussels would not rip up the backstop.

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Brexit: Nicola Sturgeon says vote delay is 'pathetic cowardice'

We will not renegotiate the deal, including the backstop, but we are ready to discuss how to facilitate UK ratification,” Mr Tusk said.

“As time is running out, we will also discuss our preparedness for a no-deal scenario.”

After weeks of insisting the deal agreed with Brussels was final, Mrs May was forced into a embarrassing climbdown after it became the government could not avoid a huge defeat at the hands of Conservative rebels.

The Prime Minister held an emergency cabinet meeting with ministers who had spent the morning insisting MPs would have their say on the deal as normal.

Just minutes before news of the u-turn emerged, a Downing Street spokeswoman told journalists that the vote would be going ahead.

“I have listened very carefully to what has been said, in this chamber and out of it, by members from all sides,” Mrs May told MPs.

“From listening to those views it is clear that while there is broad support for many of the key aspects of the deal, on one issue – the Northern Ireland backstop – there remains widespread and deep concern.

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“As a result, if we went ahead and held the vote tomorrow the deal would be rejected by a significant margin. We will therefore defer the vote scheduled for tomorrow and not proceed to divide the House at this time.”

The Prime Minister offered no clarity on when a vote would take place, despite repeated questions from MPs on all sides, although the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox suggested a vote may not take place until next year.

“I will go to see my counterparts in other member states and the leadership of the Council and the Commission,” Mrs May said.

She added that she was “determined to do all I can to secure the reassurances this House requires, to get this deal over the line and deliver for the British people.” Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister will meet with the Dutch premier Mark Rutte in the Hague on Tuesday morning.

Ms Sturgeon said the decision to pull the vote was “an unforgiveable dereliction of responsibility”

The First Minister said: “It is final proof that the interests of a deeply-divided Tory party matter far more to the Prime Minister than people’s jobs and living standards.”

The Prime Minister was warned by the Commons Speaker that scrapping today’s vote at the last minute was “deeply discourteous”.

Under parliamentary rules, the government can postpone putting the Brexit before MPs without their approval, Mr Bercow urged the Prime Minister to “give the House the opportunity to express its opinion in a vote whether or not it wishes the debate to be brought to a premature and inconclusive end”.

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He added: “I politely suggest that in any courteous, respectful and mature environment, allowing the House to have its say on this matter would be the right, and dare I say it obvious course to take.”

However, Mrs May’s spokesman told reporters that the Government whip would call out “tomorrow” when the Commons clerk read out the orders of the day on Monday night, putting off the two remaining days of debate and any votes.