Hardline Brexiters threaten to vote down Theresa May's motion

Members of ERG group say PM’s Commons motion rules out option of no deal and is ‘madness’

Rowena Mason Deputy political editor
Wed 13 Feb 2019 15.13 GMT

Hardline Brexit supporters are threatening to inflict yet another Commons defeat on Theresa May over their fears the government is effectively ruling out leaving the EU with no deal.

Members of the European Research Group are unhappy with the wording of a No 10 motion because it endorses parliament’s vote against any Brexit without a withdrawal agreement.

The motion for debate on Thursday simply affirms “the approach to leaving the EU” backed by the Commons on 29 January, when an amendment was passed in favour of an attempt to replace the Northern Ireland backstop with “alternative arrangements”.

The motion was thought to be fairly uncontroversial until pro-Brexit supporters realised it also encompassed a second amendment passed on that day, which ruled out a no-deal Brexit. The amendment, tabled by Dame Caroline Spelman, “rejects the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement and a Framework for the Future Relationship”.

The ERG group, led by arch Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg, is planning either to vote against or abstain on Thursday’s government motion, potentially causing another embarrassing parliamentary loss for the prime minister.

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