Brexit latest: MPs to vote on giving UK public second referendum

John Bercow selects Independent Group amendment in crucial debate on delaying Brexit, meaning Commons will vote on Final Say for first time

MPs will vote today on whether to give the public a fresh referendum on Brexit after John Bercow selected an amendment that could lead to a Final Say vote.

It will be the first time the Commons has held a formal vote on the issue of another referendum and will take place during another day of high drama in Westminster.

The motion, tabled by The Independent Group's Sarah Wollaston, will be voted on tonight during a debate on whether to seek a delay to Brexit.

It orders Theresa May to seek to delay Brexit “for the purposes of legislating for and conducting a public vote in which the people of the United Kingdom may give their consent" for either leaving the EU on the terms of a deal agreed by Parliament or remaining in the bloc.

The amendment is backed by MPs from Labour, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and The Independent Group.

However, it is unlikely to pass unless it is supported by the Labour leadership and around 25 Conservative rebels. Labour's position on another referendum has been unclear in recent days, with shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer saying he was "proud" to support one while shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said it would be "disastrous".

Other pro-referendum MPs had wanted to hold off on tabling a motion calling for a fresh public vote until it was more likely to be approved by MPs.

A spokesperson for the People's Vote campaign said: "We do not think today is the right time to test the will of the House on the case for a new public vote. Instead, this is the time for parliament to declare it wants an extension of Article 50 so that, after two and a half years of vexed negotiations, our political leaders ca finally decide on what Brexit means."

Mr Bercow, the Commons speaker, did not select a rival amendment that suggested another referendum "would be divisive and expensive, and therefore should not take place".

That prompted anger from Tory Brexiteers, with senior Eurosceptic Sir Bernard Jenkin suggesting it was a sign of the speaker's pro-EU bias. "What are we to conclude on your own views on these matters?", he asked Mr Bercow.

The vote on the proposal for another public vote will take place shortly before MPs vote on a government motion proposing a short delay to Brexit until June if MPs pass a withdrawal agreement by 20 March, or a much longer extension if they do not.

A number of amendments have been put forward suggesting different courses of action.

One, tabled by a group of senior cross-party backbenchers, calls for Brexit to be delayed "to enable the House of Commons to find a way forward that can command majority support".

It proposes holding a series of "indicative votes" to determine what kind of Brexit MPs might support.

Another motion, put forward by Labour's Chris Bryant, seeks to stop Ms May holding another vote on her Brexit deal next week. It says that parliamentary rules prevent a vote being held on a motion or amendment that is the same as one that has already been voted on in the current session. As such, the motion "orders the government not to move a further motion" asking MPs to approve the exit plan that has already been twice rejected by the Commons.

Reports suggest the government is planning to hold a third "meaningful vote" on the plan on Monday or Tuesday next week in the hope of winning over Eurosceptics by presenting them with the threat of Brexit being delayed.

Speaking after MPs voted last night to rule out a no-deal Brexit, Ms May told the Commons: "If the House finds a way in the coming days to support a deal, it would allow the government to seek a short limited technical extension to Article 50 to provide time to pass the necessary legislation and ratify the agreement we have reached with the EU.

"But let me be clear: such a short technical extension is only likely to be on offer if we have a deal in place.

"Therefore, the House has to understand and accept that, if it is not willing to support a deal in the coming days, and as it is not willing to support leaving without a deal on 29 March, then it is suggesting that there will need to be a much longer extension to Article 50. Such an extension would undoubtedly require the United Kingdom to hold European Parliament elections in May 2019.

"I do not think that would be the right outcome, but the House needs to face up to the consequences of the decisions it has taken."