Theresa May faces major Commons revolt as rebel backbench Tories plan to join forces with Labour and SNP Remoaners to alter Brexit bill
THERESA May is facing a potentially major Commons revolt as rebel backbench Tories are planning to join force with Labour and SNP Remoaners to alter the Brexit bill.
Legislation to trigger Article 50 returns to the Commons for a further three days of debate today during committee stage.
This gives MPs the chance to change the scope of the EU (Notification Of Withdrawal) Bill, with hundreds of amendments tabled by pro-EU MPs.
Remain-backing Conservatives are seeking assurances Parliament will get a say on the "endgame" if the Brexit negotiations collapse without a deal with the remaining 27 member states.
The Prime Minister has promised MPs and peers will be given a vote on any agreement she reaches in the talks with Brussels.
However the rebels fear if the negotiations fail, Britain would simply leave the EU without any agreement at all – leading to potentially serious consequences for the economy.
They argue before that happens Parliament should be given a chance to vote to send ministers back to the negotiating table to try again.
But the move has infuriated pro-Leave Tories who believe it is a backdoor attempt to derail the whole Brexit process.
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Pro-Remainers have dismissed a claim by the leading Brexit campaigner Steve Baker that as many as 27 rebels could vote with the opposition as wide of the mark.
However with a Government majority of just 16 in the Commons, the arithmetic may be tight if it does come to a vote on Article 50.
Former ministers Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve were reported to be among the potential rebels, alongside veteran pro-European Ken Clarke, the only Tory to oppose the Bill in last week's second reading vote.
Speaker John Bercow will decide which of the scores of amendments that have been tabled MPs will have the chance to debate or vote on.
Meanwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is struggling to contain a revolt in his own ranks after 47 pro-Remain Labour MPs defied him to vote against the Bill at second reading.
There was fury among colleagues that shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, one of his closest allies, escaped unpunished after she failed to vote, claiming a migraine, despite a three-line whip.
Three other members of the shadow cabinet resigned to oppose the Bill, but Mr Corbyn has yet to decide what to do about the 10 junior shadow ministers and three party whips who also voted against the bill.