British prime minister Theresa May has been defeated over her Brexit plan B on Thursday.

Asked to “reiterate its support for the approach to leaving the EU” expressed by the House of Commons on January 29th, it voted 303 against the motion, tabled by the government.

The prime minister was not present for the vote.

She had been seeking MPs’ backing for her approach to renegotiating her withdrawal agreement with the EU after the House of Commons emphatically rejected it last month.

Although Mrs May is seeking to finalise a revised Brexit deal with the EU, she has repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility of the UK crashing out of the bloc without an agreement.

But Eurosceptic Conservative MPs are angry that a government motion about Mrs May’s strategy that they are being asked to approve on Thursday “welcomes” recent votes in parliament, including one rejecting a no-deal Brexit.

Many Eurosceptics argue that a no-deal option is necessary as a negotiating tactic with Brussels.

“It makes sense that we keep no deal on the table, because we know the history of the EU that they do make concessions at the last moment,” said Shailesh Vara, who resigned as a minister in protest at Brexit policy. “We need to hold our nerve.”

Some members of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory MPs, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, are now expected to abstain in the vote on Thursday, which could result in the government motion being rejected, and thereby undermine Mrs May’s credibility with Brussels.

Adding to the prime minister’s difficulties, Europhile Conservative MPs criticised Brexit secretary Steve Barclay after he said that the UK could leave the EU without a deal on March 29 despite parliament having voted against such a possibility.

Caroline Spelman, the Conservative MP who spearheaded the Commons vote last month against leaving without a deal, suggested that the government was “contemptuous” of the Commons.

MPs were asked to vote up to four times on Thursday. Three amendments to the government motion have been selected for debate: one by Labour, which seeks to force the government to give MPs a further vote on Mrs May’s strategy on February 27th; another by the Scottish National party, calling for steps to revoke Brexit; and a third by Europhile MPs, ordering the release of the government’s no-deal assessments.

This third amendment, led by the Conservative Anna Soubry and Labour’s Chuka Umunna, was later withdrawn.

Mr Barclay tried to assuage Eurosceptic Tories in his speech at the start of the Commons debate on Thursday. “We do need as a parliament to hold our nerve, and we do need to send a clear signal to those in the European Union with whom we’re discussing this deal,” he said.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said Mr Barclay was “all over the place on all of the important issues”, and accused Mrs May of “running down the clock, hoping to get to March or even the end of March” before presenting MPs with a choice of her withdrawal agreement or a no-deal Brexit. – Financial Times </s> • Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered another Brexit defeat after the House of Commons on Thursday rejected a motion seeking endorsement for her Brexit plans.
• MPs voted 303 to 258 to reject the government’s motion after dozens of pro-Brexit MPs abstained.
• Some Brexit advocates argued that the motion would have effectively ruled out a no-deal Brexit.
• May had asked MPs to send a “clear message” to the European Union.
• It is the eighth time the government has lost a House of Commons vote on Brexit.

LONDON – Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered another Brexit defeat in the House of Commons after rebel Conservative MPs abandoned their support for her plans to break from the European Union.

The prime minister had asked MPs to send a “clear message” to the EU about their desire for “legally binding changes” to her Brexit deal, with the UK’s scheduled exit just weeks away.

But in another day of Westminster drama, MPs voted 303 to 258 on Thursday evening to reject the prime minister’s motion seeking endorsement for her plan to renegotiate the controversial backstop for Northern Ireland.

A majority of Conservative MPs in the pro-Brexit European Research Group abstained from the vote, which is what led May’s government to its eighth Brexit defeat in the House of Commons.

The prime minister’s opponents called on her to change course.

“Tonight’s vote shows there is no majority for the prime minister’s course of action on Brexit,” the Labour Party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, told MPs immediately following the vote.

“Yet again she has been defeated. The government cannot keep on ignoring parliament.”

David Lammy, a Labour MP who supports the anti-Brexit Best For Britain campaign, described the result as a “massacre for the government and a damning indictment of the Prime Minister’s Brexit plan.”

He added: “The Prime Minister has nowhere left to hide.

“Her threats to throw the country off a cliff edge if MPs do not vote for her deal will be exposed as deeply cynical by a leader more concerned with the future of her party than her country. She should now rule out no-deal and put her deal to a public vote with the option of remaining in the EU.”

Thursday’s vote wasn’t legally binding, but it had symbolic weight and puts even greater pressure on May to change her Brexit strategy.

The vote was originally expected to be a straightforward victory for the government as it sought a repeated endorsement for a motion previously passed by MPs two weeks ago.

But pro-Brexit MPs in the European Research Group abstained on the prime minister’s motion, as they believed it also endorsed a previous amendment that called on the government to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay had insisted in the Commons that a no-deal Brexit was still possible. Conservative rebels accused the government of “doublethink,” however, after ministers refused to rewrite their motion.

“We’re now truly entering the world of George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth,” Conservative MP Bill Cash told the Commons.

“In his book 1984, Orwell said doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously and expecting both of them. This double motion is doublethink in action and I cannot possibly vote for it.”

Pro-Brexit MPs were split on whether to back the prime minister, with some members of the anti-EU European Research Group breaking to back May’s motion.

The result means the prime minister will return to Brussels later this month without the clear support from Parliament for a renegotiated deal.

It will also add to growing pressure on May to shift toward backing a customs union with the EU to win support from Labour and other opposition parties. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why did May lose another Brexit vote?

Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered another Commons defeat after MPs voted down her approach to Brexit talks.

MPs voted by 303 to 258 - a majority of 45 - against a motion endorsing the government's negotiating strategy.

The defeat has no legal force and Downing Street said it would not change the PM's approach to talks with the EU.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged Mrs May to "admit her Brexit strategy has failed" and to come forward with a plan Parliament would support.

The defeat came after the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs announced it had taken a "collective decision" to abstain, because backing the motion would have amounted to an endorsement of efforts to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

Mrs May has consistently rejected calls to rule out a no-deal Brexit, but Tory Brexiteer rebels believed the wording of what was meant to be a neutral government motion opened the door to that.

The motion reiterated support for the approach to Brexit backed by MPs in votes last month, one of which ruled out a no-deal Brexit.

Please upgrade your browser to view this interactive How did my MP vote on 14 February? Enter a postcode, or the name or constituency of your MP

The voting figures showed it was not just hardline Brexiteers that failed to support the government - a number of Tory Remainers also declined to vote, as more than a fifth of the party in the Commons failed to back the government.

Five Conservative MPs - Brexiteers Peter Bone, Sir Christopher Chope, Philip Hollobone, and Anne Marie Morris, and the pro-Remain Sarah Wollaston - even voted with Labour against the motion.

Downing Street blamed Mr Corbyn for the defeat, saying he had "yet again put partisan considerations ahead of the national interest" by voting against the government's motion.

A No 10 spokesman said the PM would continue to seek legally-binding changes to the controversial Irish backstop, as MPs had instructed her to do in a Commons vote on 29 January.

"While we didn't secure the support of the Commons this evening, the prime minister continues to believe, and the debate itself indicated, that far from objecting to securing changes to the backstop that will allow us to leave with a deal, there was a concern from some Conservative colleagues about taking no deal off the table at this stage," he added.

Plasters lose their stick, revealing the hurt underneath. And the fragile patch that was covering the Tory truce has been well and truly torn.

Just when Theresa May wanted to show the European Union that she could hold her party together to win, she lost.

And at home the prime minister has been shown in no uncertain terms that she simply can't count on the factions in her party to come through for her.

Read More

Downing Street had earlier warned that defeat could damage the prime minister's negotiating position, as she seeks to make changes to the controversial backstop "insurance policy" in her deal to avoid customs checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

ERG deputy chairman Steve Baker told BBC News the group still supported efforts to get "alternative arrangements" to replace the controversial Irish backstop plan, describing Mrs May's defeat as a "storm in a teacup".

Image caption Jeremy Corbyn: 'This can't go on'

But business minister Richard Harrington said ERG members should join former UKIP leader Nigel Farage's new Brexit party, telling them: "In my view you're not Conservatives."

In an interview with The House magazine, he urged ministers opposed to a hard Brexit not to "give in" to the ERG by resigning.

He also said he was "disappointed" that Mrs May had not made a statement to the Commons today, and given MPs an outline of a revised deal to vote on.

"We're now told it will be in another two weeks' time so, being very conscious of the damage that not ruling out a hard Brexit is having on business and industry, I'm concerned that it's going to drag on.

"What concerns me most is there is now talk that there won't be a final decision until the next EU Council on 21 March which, as far as business is concerned, is completely unacceptable."

Going nowhere fast?

By BBC Europe editor Katya Adler

EU leaders still believe this is not the time to budge.

They see the UK arguing, debating and negotiating with itself again - as it has done so often during the Brexit process - rather than engaging with Brussels.

As a result of all this, the new round of EU-UK negotiations are going nowhere fast.

"Window-dressing" is how one senior EU figure described the talks to me - with each side simply repeating their red lines to the other.

So, the current favourite prediction in Brussels is that things will only be resolved in March.

Read Katya's blog

Commenting on Mrs May's latest defeat, Jeremy Corbyn said: "Two weeks ago, the prime minister told Parliament that her new approach could 'secure a substantial and sustainable majority' in Parliament.

"However, tonight's vote has proved that there is no majority for the prime minister's course of action.

"This can't go on. The government can't keep ignoring Parliament or ploughing on towards 29 March without a coherent plan."

He added that the PM needed to admit her strategy had failed "and come back with a proposal that can truly command majority support in Parliament".

Pro-EU Conservative MP Anna Soubry said: "The prime minister has been dealt yet another body blow. This is really serious stuff.

"What is happening is a profound lack of leadership from the very top of government."

She said it was "chilling" that ministers were still keeping no-deal on the table when they had seen economic analysis showing that it would be "absolutely disastrous" for the country.

"What an absolute fiasco this is," she added, blaming a "lack of leadership in both of our broken parties".

Mrs May has promised MPs a final, decisive vote on her Brexit deal with the EU when she has secured the changes to it that she believes MPs want to see.

She believes she can secure a Commons majority for the deal if she can get legally binding changes to the backstop clause - something the EU has consistently ruled out.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Confused by Brexit jargon? Reality Check unpacks the basics.

A Labour amendment calling for the final, meaningful vote to be held before 27 February was earlier defeated by 16 votes.

An SNP amendment, backed by the Liberal Democrats and calling for Britain's departure from the EU on 29 March to be delayed by three months, was defeated by 93 votes to 315 after most Labour MPs abstained.

Anna Soubry withdrew an amendment calling on the government to publish the latest cabinet briefing on the economic impact of a no-deal Brexit after ministers agreed to meet her and publish relevant documents. Ms Soubry said she would table it again on 27 February if ministers did not keep to their promise.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay had pledged to call the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier after the vote to discuss the result. The two men are set to resume talks in Brussels early next week. </s> Theresa May suffered yet another humiliating defeat tonight in the latest Commons showdown over Brexit.

Eurosceptic Conservative MPs refused to support the Government as it sought Parliament’s backing to go back to Brussels and renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement that was rejected by MPs last month.

The latest plan, which called on MPs to rubber-stamp previous votes ordering the Government to win concessions from EU leaders on the Irish backstop and to avoid a no-deal Brexit, was defeated by 258 - 303.

Members of the backbench European Research Group had earlier threatened to vote down the motion as they said it effectively blocked a no-deal Brexit, undermining Britain’s negotiating position.

But the group’s deputy chairman Steve Baker later said there has been a “collective decision” to abstain.

YP Letters: Captive Theresa May dooming us to no deal Brexit



Speaking after the vote, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Tonight’s vote shows there is no majority for the Prime Minister’s course of action in dealing with Brexit.

“Yet again her Government has been defeated. The Government cannot keep on ignoring parliament or ploughing on towards 29 March without a coherent plan.

“She cannot keep on just running down the clock and hoping that something will turn up.”

During a five hour Commons debate yesterday, ministers urged MPs to swing behind the latest Brexit strategy, warning that a defeat for the Prime Minister would send the “wrong signal” to Brussels.

The defeat will come as a fresh blow to Mrs May as she prepares to relaunch efforts to win compromises on the Withdrawal Agreement from EU leaders.

In response, a Downing Street spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn yet again put partisan considerations ahead of the national interest – and yet again, by voting against the Government’s motion, he is in effect voting to make no deal more likely.

“While we didn’t secure the support of the Commons this evening, the Prime Minister continues to believe, and the debate itself indicated, that far from objecting to securing changes to the backstop that will allow us to leave with a deal, there was a concern from some Conservative colleagues about taking no deal off the table at this stage.

“The motion on 29th January remains the only one the House of Commons has passed expressing what it does want – and that is legally binding changes to address concerns about the backstop. The Government will continue to pursue this with the EU to ensure we leave on time on 29th March.” </s> MPs again rejected all options set out in Parliament last night in a series of "indicative votes" aimed at finding a way forward for Brexit.

It was the second time in the space of a week that all alternatives to Theresa May's deal were rejected by Parliament after the Commons took control of the Brexit process following the Prime Minister's three defeats on her plan.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay told MPs that the default outcome was now a no-deal Brexit on April 12, but said it was still possible to leave with a deal - and avoid holding European Parliament elections in May - if the Commons approves an agreement this week.

Cabinet will meet today for five hours to try and thrash out a way forward.

Here's how our MPs voted for each of the alternative plans set out last night:

The UK would join the European Free Trade Association and European Economic Area with countries such as Norway, allowing us to remain part of the single market, retaining freedom of movement, so British citizens would keep the right to live and work in the EU and vice-versa.

Former Conservative MP Nick Boles's Common Market 2.0 motion was defeated by 282 votes to 261, majority 21.

Would see the Government to negotiating "a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU" as part of any Brexit deal.

Would give the UK a closer trading relationship with the EU and reduce the need for some (but not all) checks at the Irish border.

Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke's customs union motion was defeated by 276 votes to 273, majority three.

Gives the public a vote to approve any Brexit deal passed by Parliament, before it can be implemented.

MPs voted by 292 votes to 280, majority 12, to reject Labour MP Peter Kyle's second Brexit referendum motion.

Giving MPs power to block leaving with no-deal by cancelling Brexit if EU won’t grant a further extension beyond 12 April

SNP MP Joanna Cherry's proposal saw 191 votes for, 292 against, defeated by a majority 101 </s> British Prime Minister Theresa May's government remained defiant after Parliament took partial control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union, arguing Tuesday that the maneuvering simply underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal.

The House of Commons voted late Monday to wrest the parliamentary timetable away from the government temporarily so that lawmakers can vote on alternatives to the withdrawal agreement May negotiated with the

The government, which usually controls the scheduling of votes in Parliament, said the lawmakers' move "upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future."

 

 But Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that the government won't "pre-commit" to accepting the option backed by lawmakers because they may come up with a plan that is impractical.

"If the Commons voted for the sun to rise in the west, the government would not be able to implement that," he said.

"The best way through this impasse is the one deal that has been negotiated with the that can be delivered quickly now," Hancock said, referring to the prime minister's agreement.

May's authority is hanging by a thread after 30 members of her defied her instructions and voted for Parliament to take control of the process. Three government ministers resigned rather than vote with the government.

Almost three years after Britons voted to leave the EU, the date and terms of its departure are up in the air.

Last week the granted Britain a delay to the scheduled March 29 exit date, saying that if Parliament approved the proposed divorce deal, the UK would leave the EU on May 22.

If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or chart a path to a new option.

May is continuing to push for approval of her deal with the EU even though the House of Commons overwhelmingly rejected it during votes in January and March.

She has warned pro-Brexit legislators that continuing to reject the deal could lead to a "slow Brexit" that postpones the country's departure indefinitely.

Richard Harrington, who resigned as a business minister to vote in favor of Monday's motion, accused the government of "playing roulette" with people and businesses lives by failing to resolve Britain's Brexit impasse.

Lawmakers who backed Monday's motion, which passed 329-302, hope to find an alternative that can command a majority in Parliament by holding a series of "indicative votes" on other options.

Those alternatives could include a "soft Brexit" that maintains close economic ties with the EU or scrapping Brexit entirely.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leading pro-Brexit Conservative, acknowledged that "the choice seems to be Mrs. May's deal or no Brexit."



"I have always thought that 'no deal' is better than May's deal, but May's deal is better than not leaving at all," he said on the Conservative Home podcast.

Cabinet ministers gathering Tuesday for their regular meeting were expected to demand that lawmakers be allowed to follow their consciences, rather than vote the party line, during the debate Wednesday on alternatives to the prime minister's deal.

"Parliament should seek urgently to resolve the situation by considering alternatives freely, without the instruction of party whips, and government should adopt any feasible outcome as its own in order to progress matters," said Alistair Burt, who quit his role in the Foreign Office after defying May on Monday.

"I did not believe the government was prepared to do that, so had to vote to ensure this happens. </s> LONDON — Theresa May faces a Commons defeat on Thursday if Eurosceptic MPs carry out their latest threat against the prime minister to thwart her Brexit plans.

MPs will vote this afternoon on what was supposed to be a straightforward motion endorsing the prime minister's Brexit strategy, which won a majority in the Commons in January.

However, the European Research Group of Brexit-supporting Tory MPs is unhappy with the wording of the motion, which states that parliament "reiterates its support for the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January."

The problem is that MPs voted that day, not only for a motion stating that the backstop must be replaced by "alternative arrangements," but also for a motion tabled by Conservative MP Caroline Spelman saying that no deal must be prevented.

One ERG member told Business Insider: "We need to make sure the motion is more neutral before supporting it as Spelman is referred to in the motion which we disagree with, so rather than "welcomes" it needs to say "notes discussions ongoing.""

If the ERG — which can count up to 60 votes — decides to vote against the motion on those grounds, it means the prime minister will suffer another humiliating defeat on what should have been an easy win.

Trade secretary Liam Fox warned on Thursday morning: "Our European partners will be watching our debate and listening today to see if they get the impression that if they were to make those concessions Parliament would definitely deliver."

"There's a danger that we send the wrong signals."

This afternoon's vote is non-binding, unlike the House of Commons defeat on her Brexit deal last month, which was the biggest in modern British history.

However, it would weaken the hand of the prime minister who is trying to demonstrate a united domestic front to Brussels in an attempt to renegotiate parts of her deal.

The news comes as reports emerged that Remain-supporting ministers are once again planning to seize control of the Brexit process by the end of February. The long-awaited rebellion from Remain-supporting ministers could finally happen on February 27, the FT reported.

Backbench MPs including Labour's Yvette Cooper and Conservative Oliver Letwin are planning to table an amendment which would seek to take no deal off the table and put the next stages of Brexit in parliament's hand, rather than Downing Street's.

The prime minister's aides have reportedly conceded that there is a good chance that Cabinet ministers will quit in order to support the initiative. </s> MPs will make another attempt to reach agreement about Brexit in a fresh series of votes on Wednesday, February 14.

And there was unexpected drama at Westminster as pro-Brexit Conservative MPs threatened to vote against Theresa May, risking another defeat for the Government - because they feared she was ruling out a “no deal” Brexit.

Meanwhile, MPs who oppose leaving the EU without a deal are keeping their powder dry until later in the month, when they will attempt to begin the process of delaying Brexit if no withdrawal agreement has been approved by Parliament.

Theresa May could face a rebellion from pro-Brexit Tories

Mrs May is to move a motion in the House of Commons saying that MPs welcome a statement she delivered on Tuesday.

This was not expected to be controversial. But Conservatives in the European Research Group (ERG), the Tory group that firmly backs Brexit, are objecting to a sentence in Mrs May’s motion that says the House of Commons “reiterates its support for the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January 2019”.

They point out that the Commons voted for two things on January 29 - to removed the “backstop” from the proposed Brexit withdrawal agreement, a decision they approve of, but also to rule out a “no-deal” Brexit.

ERG vice-chair Mark Francois told the BBC that this meant the group would not vote for the government motion. There are 50 MPs in the ERG, although they don’t always vote as a bloc.

In response, Number 10 insisted that the Government was not ruling out a no-deal Brexit.

Mrs May’s official spokesman told reporters at a Westminster media briefing: “No-deal is an eventuality we wish to avoid, but one we continue to plan for. Does no-deal remain on the table? The answer is yes.”

If the ERG really do refuse to vote for the Prime Minister's motion then the result is unpredictable, as Labour is likely to oppose it.

Labour wants to set Mrs May a deadline of February 27

A number of amendments to Mrs May’s motion have also been submitted, and these could provide an opportunity for MPs to influence the Brexit process.

A Labour amendment from party leader Jeremy Corbyn, backed by Shadow Cabinet members, would set the Government a deadline of February 27 to agree a new deal with the EU which could then be put to Parliament.

It follows suggestions that Mrs May might not put a deal to a vote until shortly before the UK is due to leave the EU on March 29.

Labour says this is a deliberate attempt to “run down the clock” and to “blackmail” MPs into voting for the deal, because at that stage it might appear that the only other option is a “no-deal” Brexit.

Mr Corbyn’s proposal is unlikely to be approved, as Conservative MPs will close ranks to vote against an official Labour amendment, probably joined by their allies in the DUP.

Some backbenchers want a big vote on all the Brexit options

Conservative MP Ken Clarke is proposing that MPs hold a vote in which they rank every Brexit option in order of preference.

Instead of the traditional House of Commons method of voting, which involves walking through corridors known as lobbies, MPs would vote on sheets of paper.

Any proposal supported by at least 50 MPs will be eligible to appear on the ballot. Examples could including backing Theresa May’s deal, leaving without a deal or holding a second referendum.

Others want the Government to reveal what a no-deal Brexit would mean for jobs

Conservative MP Anna Soubry and Labour MP Chuka Umunna are proposing an amendment calling on the Government to publish its most recent research about the effect of a no-deal Brexit on business and trade.

And there's a proposal for a second referendum

Other amendments that could be considered on February 14 include a proposal from Birmingham Labour MP Roger Godsiff for a second referendum giving the public three choices - to cancel Brexit, to leave with the Government’s deal or to leave with no deal.

Commons Speaker John Bercow will decide which amendments are debated and voted on.

There's a plan to delay Brexit if no deal can be approved

Another group of MPs, including Labour’s Yvette Cooper and Conservative Sir Oliver Letwin, have set out plans that could lead to Brexit being delayed, but this will be put forward for a vote on February 27.

This is backed by West Midlands MPs Jack Dromey (Lab Erdington) and Caroline Spelman (Con Meriden).

Their plan is to set Theresa May a deadline of March 13 to win Commons approval for a withdrawal agreement.

If she fails then the Prime Minister would have to make a choice between delaying Brexit or asking the permission of the House of Commons to go ahead with a no-deal Brexit. However, if she did this and the Commons refused to give its permission, she would be forced to ask the EU for a delay.

In practice, the proposal means Brexit will almost certainly be delayed if there is no deal agreed by March 13.

The initial vote by MPs on February 27 will be to decide whether to allocate time in Parliament to debate the plan. If they do so then Ms Cooper and Sir Oliver will propose legislation to put it into effect. </s> LONDON — Members of Parliament have voted to reject a no-deal Brexit in a further catastrophic blow to Theresa May's authority.

The House of Commons voted by 312 to 308 to endorse an amendment in the name of Tory MP Caroline Spelman which asked MPs if they opposed the prospect of leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement on March 29 under any circumstances.

The government had whipped Tory MPs to oppose the amendment, meaning some ministers who supported it could now be forced to resign.

Victory for the Spelman amendment does not change the law but represents a further significant blow to the authority of the prime minister, who had hoped MPs would instead back her own motion which represented a watered-down version of the plan.

The prime minister had been forced to hold the votes after her Brexit deal was defeated for a second time by a huge margin of 149 House of Commons votes on Tuesday evening.

MPs could now seize greater control of the next stages of Brexit.

There will be a vote on Thursday evening on whether to seek an Article 50 extension, a move which if granted by the EU would delay Brexit beyond March 29, when the UK is currently scheduled to leave. </s> MPs are to vote on the Government’s EU Withdrawal Agreement on Friday.

But the motion will not count as a third attempt to pass a “meaningful vote” on Theresa May’s deal, because it will not cover the future relationship with Europe.

Commons Speaker John Bercow cleared the motion for debate, ruling that it complies with parliamentary conventions which bar ministers from asking MPs to vote repeatedly on the same proposals.

If passed by MPs on Friday, the vote would qualify the UK to be granted an automatic delay to May 22 of the formal date of Brexit.

But it would not allow Parliament to go ahead and ratify the withdrawal deal, as Brexit legislation allows this only after the passage of a “meaningful vote” on both the Withdrawal Agreement and a Political Declaration on the future relationship.

Moving the motion to enable the debate to take place on March 29 – initially slated as Brexit day – the Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom urged MPs to back the deal “so that we can leave the EU in an orderly way that gives businesses and people the certainty that they need”.

Labour has already declared that it will not back the Government in Friday’s vote, warning that it risked “the blindest of all blind Brexits”.

Downing Street has said that Mrs May will not move to a third meaningful vote – known in Westminster as MV3 – unless she believes she has a realistic chance of success, having seen it defeated by 230 votes in January and 149 in March.

But it is understood that Number 10 believes that passing the Withdrawal Agreement alone would allow the UK to guarantee its departure date and avoid the need for Britain to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23-26.

This would buy time to seek wider agreement among MPs on the shape of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, in the hope of passing MV3 in April and leaving with a deal on May 22.

Significant doubts remain over whether Mrs May can secure a majority for the Withdrawal Agreement alone on Friday.

The Agreement includes the controversial “backstop” customs arrangements for the Irish border which continue to represent the biggest obstacle to support from the DUP and Brexit-backing Tories in the European Research Group.

And shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer made clear that Labour does not support the separation of the Withdrawal Agreement from the Political Declaration.

The move could leave the UK facing “a Boris Johnson Brexit, a Jacob Rees-Mogg Brexit or a Michael Gove Brexit” after Mrs May stands down, he warned.

“We would be leaving the EU, but with absolutely no idea where we are heading,” Sir Keir told a conference of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

“That cannot be acceptable and Labour will not vote for it.”

If the motion fails, the UK will have until April 12 to ask for a further extension to Brexit negotiations – which would require voters to choose new MEPs – or leave the EU without a deal.
The House of Commons votes to reject British Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiating strategy with the EU, though this motion has no legal force.