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Theresa May brings her Brexit deal back from dead for a THIRD time after Commons meltdown
The House of Commons hit by chaos as Remainers seize control from weak Prime Minister
THERESA May is set to bring her Brexit deal back from the dead - holding a third vote on it as a last-ditch bid to avoid a delay of up to two years.
Following a night of political chaos and a shock Tory rebellion, the House of Commons is almost certain to vote to delay Brexit today - meaning the UK won't quit the EU on March 29 as planned.
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Mrs May warned that the Commons will now have to choose between a "short technical extension" to give her the chance to get her deal through at the third time of asking - or a long delay which would see Britain taking part in the next European Parliament elections.
She hinted she will hold a third "meaningful vote" on the Brexit deal next week in a last-ditch bid to convince Tory rebels they must back her or risk Brexit never happening.
As the Brexit drama reached new heights:
- The PM is under pressure to sack disloyal ministers who refused to back her
- EU chiefs warned there is a choice between Mrs May's deal or No Deal regardless of the result
- Ministers signalled they will try and push the deal through despite two crushing losses
- Brexiteer MPs tried to prevent any chance of another referendum
- Theresa May warned of a possible TWO-YEAR delay to leaving the EU
In chaotic Commons scenes, Mrs May lost control of the Brexit process again in the face of a massive Remainer rebellion.
The Prime Minister backed a motion which would have ruled out a No Deal Brexit on March 29 but left it open for a later date.
But in a shock move, MPs instead voted for a more hardline amendment from Tory ex-minister Caroline Spelman, stating that the UK should NEVER leave the EU without a deal.
The Commons supported the Spelman amendment by 312 votes to 308.
Mrs May then reversed her policy - asking Tory MPs to vote AGAINST the main motion instead.
But a large number of pro-Remain ministers rebelled and the call to block No Deal was passed by 321 votes to 278.
The rebels included Cabinet ministers Amber Rudd, David Gauke, Greg Clark and David Mundell, who all abstained - while the Disabilities Minister Sarah Newton quit in order to back the motion.
Last night's vote is not legally binding - but the PM had already pledged to abide by it anyway.
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The chaos was another sign the Prime Minister has lost control of the Brexit process and her party - with Tories calling on her to sack the top ministers who failed to support her.
Brexiteer Ben Bradley, who backed Mrs May's deal, fumed: "We just betrayed the promise we made to the electorate. I'm angry, quite emotional really.
"It's incredibly difficult to justify... We promised to leave on the 29th, now Parliament has said we're not going to leave."
He demanded she sack the rebels, adding: "If she doesn't then I think we are in total freefall.
"We are not getting the Brexit we want and not getting it on the time we voted for."
The Commons verdict is a massive blow to Brexiteers who think the UK should quit the EU on time with or without a deal - and it boosts Remainers who want to block Brexit altogether.
Speaking after the vote result was announced, Mrs May confirmed a further motion for Thursday on whether she should seek an extension to the Article 50 process taking us out of the EU.
She warned that a short delay of up to three months will only be possible if it comes after her Brexit deal is approved, giving time to put it into practice.
If the deal is rejected again, Mrs May said the delay would have to go beyond the summer - forcing Britain to take part in the European Parliament elections in May.
We are not getting the Brexit we want
Ben Bradley
She told the Commons: “The legal default in UK and EU law remains that the UK will leave the EU without a deal unless something else is agreed. The onus is now on every one of us in this house to find out what that is.
“The motion will set out the fundamental choice facing this house – if the house finds a way in the coming days to support a deal, it will allow the Government to seek a short, limited technical extension to Article 50 to provide time to pass the necessary legislation and ratify the agreement we have reached with the EU.
“But let me be clear – such a short technical extension is only likely to be on offer if there is a deal in place.
“Therefore this house has to understand and accept that if it is not willing to support a deal in the coming days, and as it is not willing to leave without a deal on March 29, then it is suggesting there will need to be a much longer extension to Article 50.
“Such an extension would undoubtedly require the UK to hold European parliamentary elections in May
“I do not think that would be the right outcome, but the House needs to face up to the consequences of the decisions it has taken.”
THIRD TIME LUCKY?
Her statement opens the door to a third meaningful vote on whether or not to approve her deal next week.
May loyalist Simon Hart told The Sun: "The only course now is another meaningful vote. All other roads go to hell."
Another MP close to the PM said that if the Commons continues to block the deal, "A 21-month extension might well pass - effectively the same as allowing a second referendum and Brexit could be over."
Brexiteer Simon Clarke admitted he may end up backing the deal rather than risk staying in the EU, admitting the vote to block No Deal means there's "a gun to my head".
But EU bosses insisted that No Deal remains the default outcome - a spokesman said: "To take no deal off the table, it is not enough to vote against no deal - you have to agree to a deal."
As the chaos raged, it's understood ministers were told they could abstain on the motion without being sacked in a remarkable reversal of usual practice.
A senior Brexiteer was heard shouting in the voting lobby: "Why haven't they been sacked? It's appalling."
Scotland Secretary David Mundell, one of a dozen ministers to abstain, said: "I’ve always opposed a No Deal Brexit. The House made its view clear by agreeing the Spelman amendment, I didn’t think it was right for me to oppose that."
In another sign of the divisions in the Government, some Cabinet ministers voted for a Brexit Plan B amendment backing the so-called "Malthouse compromise" designed to manage a No Deal outcome.
Leadership contenders including Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Liz Truss and Gavin Williamson backed the motion alongside Brexiteers like Andrea Leadsom and Penny Mordaunt.
Last night's vote exposed deep splits in the Tory party following fury at the PM's refusal to try and keep No Deal alive.
Boris Johnson hit out at Mrs May's refusal to support No Deal - telling LBC: "I do think that is absurd, this is a fundamental matter of Government policy."
But David Cameron backed the PM, saying: "Obviously, what needs to happen next is to rule out No Deal - that would be a disaster for our country - and to seek an extension, and I'm sure that is what is going to happen next."
Chancellor Philip Hammond openly urged the PM to go for a softer Brexit deal which can win the support of other parties in an extraordinary blow to her authority.
During the Brexit debate, senior Leavers warned that removing the option of No Deal puts Britain in a much weaker position.
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John Redwood said: "This Parliament must allow us to leave on March 29 otherwise it will be the people against the Parliament."
Andrew Bridgen added: "It's not a time to take No Deal off the table, it's a time to keep it there to bring the European Union to heel."
It's still not clear whether the EU will actually grant Britain an extension to the Brexit process even if the Commons votes to request one today.
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Jeremy Corbyn calls for Parliament to find a solution after MPs voted to reject any NoDeal Brexit
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