Brexit indicative votes round 2: what happened and what next?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/01/brexit-indicative-votes-round-2-what-happened-and-what-next

Brexit indicative votes round 2: what happened and what next?

Peter Walker Political correspondent

Mon 1 Apr 2019 23.10 BST Last modified on Tue 2 Apr 2019 09.45 BST

What just happened?

MPs were again unable to find a majority for any alternative Brexit deal in a series of indicative votes, as was the case in the first such votes last Wednesday. All four options were rejected, although one – a plan to leave with a permanent customs union – lost by just three votes.

What were the results?

The motion on a customs union, put forward by the Tory veteran Ken Clarke, lost by 273 votes in favour to 276 against. This was a slight improvement: the majority against the plan last week was six. A cross-party motion for a “common market 2.0” fell by 21 votes (261 to 282); a call for any final deal to be put to a referendum lost by 280 to 292; and a plan to give MPs the power to extend Brexit, or at least choose between no deal or revoking article 50, lost by 191 to 292.

Were there any surprises?

Yes and no. There had been no definitive expectations of any measure reaching a majority, but proponents of the customs union and common market 2.0 plans had been hopeful – the former because the margin of defeat had been so small last time, the latter because Labour changed its stance to whip in favour of the idea.

What sunk the two close-run plans?

In the customs union vote, joining the vast majority of Conservatives in the no lobby were a mix of people for whom the plan was not Brexity enough (the DUP, some Labour leavers) and those for whom it was too hard a departure (the Lib Dems, the Independent Group). Some remain-minded MPs abstained.

The common market 2.0 plan suffered from a similar mix of opponents, and worries about the idea of not ending freedom of movement led 25 Labour MPs to defy the whip, mainly those in leave-voting areas. Another 33 Labour MPs abstained.

Are MPs ever going to agree on anything?

Who knows? The expectation had been that a looming no-deal departure – now due in 11 days’ time – would focus minds, build bonds and prompt compromises. But that has yet to happen. Focus will now turn to a possible third round of indicative votes, perhaps on Wednesday. Jeremy Corbyn, responding to the results in the Commons, called for this course of action, saying that if it was “good enough for the PM to have three chance at her deal”, then the same should go for MPs.
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