Commons ‘certain’ to vote to delay Brexit, says Chancellor

It is “certain” that MPs will vote on Thursday to authorise Theresa May to seek a delay to Brexit, Chancellor Philip Hammond has said.

And European Council president Donald Tusk indicated that the EU may be ready to offer a lengthy extension to negotiations if the UK wants to “rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it”.

The Chancellor denied being at odds with the Prime Minister, after he called for Parliament to seek a “consensus” solution to Brexit and to “explore other options” if her deal is voted down for a third time next week.

But Labour called on him to join them in cross-party talks on finding a “compromise” which can command the support of Parliament, after Mrs May’s authority was severely dented by three defeats in the space of 24 hours.

Mr Hammond is the most prominent of a group of Cabinet ministers suspected by Leave-backing Tories of being prepared to accept a “softer” form of Brexit.

There have been calls for the removal of four Cabinet ministers, Greg Clark, Amber Rudd, David Gauke and David Mundell, and several of lower rank who failed to vote with the Government on a motion ruling out a no-deal Brexit.

Work and pensions minister Sarah Newton quit the Government to vote for the motion.

Graphic
Graphic

But Mr Clark told ITV1’s Peston that the decision to whip the vote was made “very late in the day” without collective discussion, and the abstainers believed they were acting “completely in accordance with long-standing Government policy”.

Mr Hammond said there was “confusion” around the vote and told Sky News: “I don’t expect there to be mass sackings as a result of last night.”

There were suggestions as Mrs May went down to a 43-vote defeat on Wednesday that ministers had been assured they would not face repercussions for defying the whip.

But one abstaining minister told the Press Association: “I wasn’t told anything other than to vote against the amended motion.”

And health minister Stephen Hammond said he had received no assurances he would keep his job.

Business Secretary Greg Clark (Victoria Jones/PA
Business Secretary Greg Clark (Victoria Jones/PA

MPs will vote on Thursday on a Government motion proposing to seek a delay in the date of Brexit from March 29 to June 30 if the Commons approves Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement in a third “meaningful vote” by next Wednesday.

But the motion warns that if the deal, already rejected by 230 votes in January and 149 this week, fails again, the UK may have to accept a longer extension and take part in European Parliament elections in May.

Any extension must be approved unanimously by the 27 remaining EU states, and Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl said there could be “some problem” in obtaining this if it took Brexit beyond the date of elections.

Mr Tusk said he would appeal to leaders at a Brussels summit on March 21 to be “open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it”.

Philip Hammond urged hard Brexiteers to consider backing Theresa May’s deal when it returns to the Commons.

“I understand why they may not find the Prime Minister’s deal perfectly in line with their view of the optimum future relationship,” he told Sky News.

“But it is clear the House of Commons has to find a consensus around something, and if it is not the Prime Minister’s deal, I think it will be something that is much less to the taste of those of the hard Brexit wing of my party.”

And he added: “I am very happy with the Prime Minister’s deal.

“I would be delighted if a consensus emerges behind the Prime Minister’s deal over the next day or two.

“But I think we also have to explore other options for Parliament to express a view about how we resolve this impasse.”

POLITICS Brexit
POLITICS Brexit

Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell urged him to get involved in talks on a compromise option.

Mr McDonnell told Sky: “Philip Hammond said he was opposed to no deal and was interested in compromise.

“We are saying to Philip Hammond ‘You said yesterday you and other MPs in your party are looking for compromise. Join us now in working through that compromise, because we think MPs, in the interests of the country, will put party politics aside and do that’.”

Mr Hammond told the Today programme that the Government would continue to try to build support for Mrs May’s deal, but added: “Whatever happens, if we don’t get the deal through in the next couple of days, the Prime Minister has to go the European Council next week and seek an extension of time – I’m certain that she will be mandated by Parliament today to seek an extension of time.

“And the European Union is going to ask us ‘What do you want this time for? What is the process now?’ and the House of Commons, if it can’t agree the deal over the next few days, has to decide what the answer to that question is.”

Labour has tabled an amendment to the motion on Article 50, requiring Mrs May to seek an extension to avoid exiting the EU on March 29 without a deal and to “provide Parliamentary time for this House to find a majority for a different approach”.

Other amendments from The Independent Group and Liberal Democrats ask for a delay to provide time for a second referendum, something which is notably absent from Labour’s proposal.

Asked if Mrs May should be more flexible on Brexit if Labour is, Mr Clark said: “I think everyone needs to be flexible.”

Steve Baker, a leading member of the European Research Group (ERG) of eurosceptic Tory MPs, branded the situation a “fiasco”.

He told Peston: “It is, of course, extraordinary to see such a collapse in discipline.

“And in any other circumstances, of course, they would be fired.

“Of course I’m sad about it. I didn’t get into politics for this chaos, this fiasco.”

Mr Baker said the ERG could try to prevent the law being changed to alter the scheduled exit date from the EU.

He said: “As a matter of practice, unless the law is changed, we leave on March 29.

“There are some things that we could do to prevent the law going through in the time that is available.”

Mrs May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy warned the PM had “lost her ability to lead her party, her Government, and the country”.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: “Parliament is in control. Her deal is dead.

“And the country is heading for a softer Brexit – or worse, no Brexit at all.”

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