May suffers ANOTHER Brexit defeat in the Commons

SECOND embarrassing Brexit defeat in 24 hours for May: MPs back Tory Remainer amendment that will force her to come up with a Plan B within THREE DAYS if her deal is voted down

  • Speaker John Bercow sparked fury in Commons by allowing rebel amendment 
  • Tory Remainers tabled change forcing the PM to give Brexit next steps quickly
  • Commons Clerks advised amendment was against Commons procedural rules
  • Mr Bercow overruled the advice triggering accusations of Remainer bias 

Theresa May suffered another humiliating Brexit defeat today as MPs voted to accelerate the process if her deal is torpedoed in a showdown next week.  

The Commons passed an amendment by 308 votes to 297 that will force the PM to come up with a Plan B within days if her package fails to get through. 

It paves the way for MPs to give the government detailed instructions on what they want to happen next – although it is still not clear there is any course that commands a majority. 

The latest setback came after a bitter row with Speaker John Bercow – which culminated in extraordinary scenes in the chamber where Tory MPs and ministers accused him of flouting procedure.

The government had thought the amendment would be ruled out of order, but Mr Bercow defied advice from clerks to trigger a vote.  

The Commons passed an amendment that will force the PM (pictured in the chamber today) to come up with a Plan B within days if her package fails to get through

Speaker John Bercow is said to have defied the advice of clerks to permit a vote on a change to the government’s Brexit motion


Tory MP Mark Francois (left) voiced fury at the Speaker’s decision – but he was defended by former chancellor Ken Clarke 

Last night Tories joined with Labour to restrict the Treasury’s ability to control taxes if the government pushes ahead with no deal.  

Tory rebels led by Dominic Grieve made their next move today as they attempted to re-write the rules of debate on the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal.

They want to force Mrs May to return to the Commons with a plan B within three days of her deal being defeated on Tuesday night, as appears inevitable. 

The government were confident today’s rebellion would be scotched as the ‘business motion’ could only be amended by a minister.

But it was unexpectedly allowed on the order paper by clerks. There are claims Mr Bercow then selected it despite concerns from advisers. 

A Downing Street spokesman said: ”We are surprised the Grieve amendment was selected. The advice we received was it would not be in order.

‘We are able to access advice from other sources (than our whips).’ 

Mr Bercow faced the wrath of ministers and Tory MPs today after he allowed the ‘out of order’ amendment.


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Commons sources told MailOnline Mr Bercow was given ‘strong advice’ by clerks against permitting a vote on a change to the government’s Brexit motion. 

But he defied the views of officials to accept the amendment, which would effectively force the PM to come back to Parliament with a Plan B within three days of her deal being defeated. 

The government had been convinced the business motion, due to be voted on this afternoon, was unamendable by rank-and-file MPs.

Chief Whip Julian Smith was spotted having a ‘stand up row’ with Mr Bercow in the chamber before PMQs this afternoon, during which he apparently insisted he would not be ‘bullied’.  

Even senior Labour figures had privately thought the amendment could not be selected.

In an hour of brutal exchanges after PMQs, Mr Bercow was accused of going way beyond his powers and ‘overruling’ a motion of the House. Senior backbencher Crispin Blunt warned that it looked like ‘the referee of our affairs… is no longer neutral’.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom urged him to publish the advice he received from the Clerk of the House David Natzler. 

Mr Bercow dismissed the criticism, saying he was ‘clear in its mind’ that the business motion was amendable. 

Despite cries of ‘pathetic’ and ‘nonsense’ from angry MPs, Mr Bercow also said he did not need to explain himself – saying: ‘It is the long established precedent of the House that the Speaker in the chair makes judgements on the selection of amendments.’ 

But Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke waded in to support the Speaker. Comparing  some of his colleagues to the ‘gilet jaunes’ protesters in France, he said they should ‘put on a yellow jacket and go oustide’.   

Tory MP James Duddridge said: ‘The Speaker is supporting a remain agenda against the democratic wishes of the people as clearly expressed in the referendum. 


The amendment was tabled by Dominic Grieve (pictured left). Mr Bercow dismissed the criticism, saying he was ‘clear in its mind’ that the business motion was amendable. The Speaker is said to have been advised against accepting the amendment by Commons Clerk David Natzler (pictued right, centre in front of Mr Bercow)

‘He should not have spoken on Brexit. Mr Speaker should be above politics and facilitate. He was not credible as an fair arbiter of debates from the moment he took part in the debate and expressed a view.’ 

Tory Brexiteer Andrew Bridgen said: ‘The Speaker is riding roughshod over parliamentary procedure, the standing orders and the legal advice of the clerks to pander to the anti-Brexit sentiment of his supporters in Parliament.

‘His continued occupation of the Speakers’ chair is a clear and present threat to our democracy and our constitution.’  

Nikki da Costa, a former legislative expert at Downing Street, expressed surprise that it had been accepted – suggesting it flew in the face of procedure.

‘More than anything this is not just overturning something the House accepted in a business motion, it is overturning the EUWA (EU Withdrawal Act) and procedure voted on and approved in both Houses with much debate and scrutiny, and indeed which Grieve accepted on floor of the House,’ she posted on Twitter.  

Last night’s revolt showed Downing Street there are enough rebels to defeat the Government over no deal. 

Ex minister Nick Boles revealed today he had received a death threat for the first time after joining a Tory revolt against no deal Brexit.

Mr Boles was one of 20 Tory MPs who joined forced with Labour to inflict another humiliating defeat on Theresa May – prompting outrage from Leave supporters.

He told BBC Radio Lincolnshire today ‘sad cowards with nothing better to do’ had made a death threat but vowed not to be bowed by the attacks.  

The rebel amendment would effectively force the PM (pictured at No10 today) to come back to Parliament with a Plan B within three days of her deal being defeated 

Tory MP Anna Soubry was surrounded by an angry mob on Monday and branded a ‘Nazi’ by a group linked to Tommy Robinson

Ex minister Nick Boles (pictured in the Commons last night) revealed today he had received a death threat for the first time after joining a Tory revolt against no deal Brexit

In the Commons last night, Mr Boles warned the PM: ‘We’ll be seeking to use any and every opportunity to show that Parliament will not allow a no-deal Brexit.

‘This is a single skirmish in a long campaign.’ 

The threat against Mr Boles comes amid rising concern at harassment and abuse of MPs outside Parliament.

Tory MP Anna Soubry was surrounded by an angry mob on Monday and branded a ‘Nazi’ by a group linked to Tommy Robinson. 

Commons Speaker John Bercow has written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick protesting the lack of arrests.  

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, seen as Mrs May’s effective deputy, this morning issued another frantic plea for critics to get behind her plan.

He appealed for MPs to give up on hopes for ‘magical alternative deals that are somehow going to sort of spring out of a cupboard in Brussels’.

Ministers have played down the impact of the Commons vote last night, painting it as an inconvenience rather than a mortal blow to the government’s ability to respond to a no-deal situation.

It was the first time since James Callaghan was PM in the 1970s that a government has been defeated in a vote on the Finance Bill, which is used to enact the Budget.

The Tory rebels included 17 former ministers, six of whom had served at Cabinet level. Among them were Sir Michael Fallon, Kenneth Clarke, Justine Greening, Nicky Morgan, Sir Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve. 

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