- MPs have taken control of the Brexit process
- Some Ministers resigned to vote against the government
- Pressure is mounting on May to resign
UK MPs have voted to seize control of commons business in an unusual move as they try to find a majority for any Brexit option. The MPs have therefore taken control of the process of leaving the European Union from Prime Minister Theresa May.
According to BBC news outlet, the Commons voted 329 to 302, gaining a majority of 27 from a cross-party amendment to enable the MPs to stage a series of indicative votes on alternatives to the deal by the Prime Minister.
Rebelled To Vote for Amendment
This happened even as several pro-European Union Ministers announced their resignation from the government of the outcome of the vote being among 30 Tory MPs supporting it.
Business Minister Richard Harrington, Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt, and Health Minister Steve Brine quit voting against the government in which a total of 29 Tory MPs rebelled to vote for the amendment. The government issued a hard-hitting statement after the defeat sounding a warning that the vote:
“Upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future.”
The amendment was drafted by a cross-party group led by Labour Party’s Hillary Benn and gave the MPs a series of votes on the alternatives to May’s Brexit deal including revocation of article 50. The Prime Minister had earlier decried lack of support to justify holding a third meaningful vote on the deal but held she would not give parliament a blank cheque regarding the outcome.
MPs to Vote On Options
The vote outcome means that the MPs will have a series of votes on Wednesday to choose the Brexit they deem best even though the Prime Minister is on record saying there is no guarantee their decision will bind her. Commenting on the outcome, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a strong backer of the amendment tabled by Conservative Sir Oliver Letwin said the government:
“Must take the process seriously […] the government has failed and this House must, and I believe will, succeed.”
Corbyn appealed to the MPs to find a consensus on the way forward including the option of a confirmatory vote on the PM’s deal by the public, something Mrs. May told MPs earlier she didn’t want. The Indicative votes will enable the MPs to vote on options including a softer Brexit, a Customs union with the EU or another referendum.
As BR reported yesterday, British Prime Minister Theresa May who’s been in office since 2016 is walking a tightrope with a divided state where the public and members of parliament are divided over the recently concluded Brexit vote where Britain chose to leave the EU. May’s deal has been rejected twice, and now she is under pressure to resign from her position amid a massive protest around the issue of Brexit.