Conservative MPs demand final say on Brexit from PM giving them power to decide whether to walk out of negotiations with no deal
REBEL Tory MPs are demanding Theresa May gives Parliament the final say on whether to walk out of Brexit negotiations with no deal.
Two pro-EU senior backbenchers last night told The Sun they are ready to vote with Labour next week to force the PM to concede the key power.
And there are an estimated 20 more Conservatives who could join them – teeing up a knife edge Commons show down.
The fresh rebellion came as the Brexit Secretary warned all MPs “the eyes of the nation” are on them, as a landmark five days of debate began yesterday on a new bill to authorise Mrs May to begin Article 50 departure talks.
The need for the new law was ordered by a Supreme Court ruling last week.
Calling on the Commons not to block voters’ will and “trust the people”, David Davis added: “For many years, there has been a creeping sense in the country that politicians say one thing, and do another.
“We voted to give the people the chance to determine our future in a referendum, now we must honour our side of the agreement: to vote to deliver on the result.”
Downing Street fears that ceding the final say on whether or not to accept the EU’s deal offer would fatally weaken Mrs May’s hands during tense Brussels negotiations.
Government sources last night insisted there would be no concession to the rebels, meaning a final vote a week today could be very tight for the government, which only has a wafer-thin majority of 16.
Signalling their intent in the Commons yesterday, ex-Tory business minister Anna Soubry said: “At the end of this process all options must remain open, and it should be for this place not the Government to decide what happens next”.
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Former Tory Attorney General Dominic Grieve added: “I worry very much that we should have a proper process to help to engage the House and the country in what we’re going to do”.
The fresh rebellion comes after Mrs May last week warned MPs Britain faces an ultra-hard Brexit if they vote down any deal that she proposes to them in 2019 rather than renewed talks.
Meanwhile, a total of 35 Labour MPs had already promised to vote against Article 50 by last night, defying their own leader Jeremy Corbyn’s demand they now back Brexit.
With Labour split down the middle on the issue, shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer implored his comrades not to try to block the bill, adding: “As democrats, our party has to accept the result”.
Even pro-EU Lib Dem MPs are split – with three of their nine MPs yesterday saying they refuse to vote with leader Tim Farron’s vow to block Brexit.
Veteran MP Ken Clarke was the only Tory to declare he will vote against Brexit, defying his government’s three line whip.
The ex-Cabinet minister called on other pro-EU Conservatives to examine their consciences, declaring: “I personally shall be voting with my conscience content”.
Winning cheers and rare clapping from Labour MP, Mr Clarke infuriated Tories by accusing Brexit ministers of “Alice in Wonderland” politics for thinking the world would swiftly sign up to new trade deals with Britain.
MPs will vote on the Article 50 bill’s second reading tonight, before a final vote next Wednesday when it will pass to the Lords.