Theresa May endures humiliating loss as Tory rebels refuse to back government plan

Brexit: Theresa May dismisses claims she plans to extend Article 50 as something “overheard in a bar”

Theresa May has suffered another embarrassing defeat in the Commons, after MPs again voted down her Brexit plans on Valentine's Day.

By a majority of 45, the prime minister's latest non-binding motion - endorsing her plans - was rejected by MPs after a considerable rebellion from Conservative backbenchers.

The defeat came after the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group announced they had taken a "collective decision" to abstain.

Immediately after the vote, Jeremy Corbyn said he was "surprised" the prime minister wasn't present in the Commons "to hear the result of this vote".

He added: "I was going to ask her to come to the despatch box now and admit her strategy has failed and bring forward to the House a coherent plan.

"A coherent plan that can deal with the stresses and anxieties that so many people all over over this country are feeling that can be brought to this House so we can make some progress forward to bring people together and prevent a catastrophic no-deal Brexit on 29th March."

But responding to the votes on Thursday evening, a Downing Street spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn yet again put partisan considerations ahead of the national interest – and yet again, by voting against the Government’s motion, he is in effect voting to make no deal more likely.

“While we didn’t secure the support of the Commons this evening, the Prime Minister continues to believe, and the debate itself indicated, that far from objecting to securing changes to the backstop that will allow us to leave with a deal, there was a concern from some Conservative colleagues about taking no deal off the table at this stage.

“The motion on 29th January remains the only one the House of Commons has passed expressing what it does want – and that is legally binding changes to address concerns about the backstop. The Government will continue to pursue this with the EU to ensure we leave on time on 29th March.”

As it happened..

Key Points

• Theresa May defeated on government motion as Brexiteers threaten to rebel
• Labour accuses prime minister of 'running down the clock'
• John McDonnell criticised for calling Sir Winston Churchill a 'villain'

[14 February 2019 13:30 · Benjamin Kentish]

Sir Keir Starmer says Labour's amendment is designed to put a "hard stop to running down the clock"

Speculating about Theresa May's strategy, he says: 

"The plan is to put essentially the same deal back to this House as a binary choice: my deal or no deal. Perhaps with some additional words which the attorney (general) can say have real significance, but it will be essentially the same deal. That is not holding your nerve, that is plain reckless and we have to say no."

"That's why Labour's amendment today is intended to put a hard stop to running down the clock, it says that on the 27 February the government must put a deal to the House for its approval or bring an amendable motion so the House can take control of what happens next and it's essential that we do so."

[14 February 2019 14:01 · Ashley Cowburn]

[14 February 2019 14:17 · Ashley Cowburn]

Former chancellor Ken Clarke said in the Brexit debate, the PM should abandon trying to make changes to the Brexit deal to appease the European Research Group (ERG) group of Tories, saying they will "reject anything we come back with because some of them want to leave with no deal".

Mr Clarke, a former chancellor, explained: "The government has pursued one of the factions on our side of the House, we have a kind of breakaway party within a party, a bit like Momentum really, they've got their leader, they've got their chief whip.

"They are ardent right-wingers, and the government has set off in pursuit of these bizarre negotiating tactics that some of them say, though some of them seem to want to leave with no deal, because any agreement with foreigners from the continent is a threat to our sovereignty."

He said that is "the wrong group to pursue", and called the Brady amendment "meaningless".

[14 February 2019 14:31 · Ashley Cowburn]

[14 February 2019 14:51 · Benjamin Kentish]

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab suggests he may not vote for the government's motion tonight.

He says:

"We have heard nothing about whether [the Malthouse Compromise] has been formally tabled with our EU friends and partners.

"I understand it has been raised and discussed with Michel Barnier but has a document, a written version of this, actually been shared? This was the basis on which the Brady amendment was adopted and I think it is a legitimate question to ask.

"At the moment I am struggling with the idea of voting for the principled motion but I will listen very carefully to the further assurances ministers will give in winding up because I would rather be in a position of supporting the government."

[14 February 2019 15:12 · Benjamin Kentish]

This is significant - sort of. ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg pours cold water on suggestions that Brexiteers will rebel against the government tonight, telling ITV News:

"This is a secondary issue, rather than a primary one, and that is why I think it is highly unlikely people will be voting against this motion."

That said, even if Eurosceptic Tories do rebel and the government is defeated, the vote is not binding and it will have no significant impact on Brexit. 

[14 February 2019 15:29 · Benjamin Kentish]

Strong words from Labour backbencher Chris Leslie, who says MPs are being "played for fools" by his party leadership.

He tells the Commons:

"The idea that the Labour Party is not together and arguing against this tragedy, against this disaster is for me entirely heartbreaking."

He said he held Theresa May responsible for the "unmitigated disaster" of Brexit but continued:

"But the truth is there have been an increasing number of people on these benches abstaining, even front benchers abstaining and therefore we have to wait for members of the payroll, government ministers to do the brave thing and resign to counteract for the loss of some of those numbers on what should be a solid Labour move against this outrageous situation."

Referring to the amendment tabled by Jeremy Corbyn, he said:

"I do no longer see those words 'option of a public vote', which was there when we had the amendment on 29th January, I think to myself why are we regressing in our party's policy passed at the September conference?"

"I certainly feel that we are being played for fools by the leadership of the Labour Party on this particular issue because by now we should have reached the stage of a public vote when it comes to the option of remaining in the EU."

[14 February 2019 16:05 · Benjamin Kentish]

Strong words, too, from Tory rebel Dominic Grieve, who hints that he could resign the Tory whip if the government pursues a no-deal Brexit.

He says MPs have a "sacred duty" to prevent no deal and continues:

"If that is the policy on which they are going to persist, then obviously we will try to change it by implementing the necessary legislation, but it calls into question whether in fact the government, which I do my best to support despite the problems we've got, is in fact acting in the national interest at all."

Addressing government ministers, he added:

"I simply say to them that there is going to come a time when my ability to support this government is going to run out completely if we continue behaving in this absolutely crazy fashion. The national interest calls on us to face up to your responsibilities."

[14 February 2019 16:23 · Benjamin Kentish]

After Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested members of the ERG were "highly unlikely" to rebel tonight, Sky News is reporting that the group has, in fact, decided to abstain - meaning the government motion is all but certain to be defeated. 

[14 February 2019 16:33 · Benjamin Kentish]

The UK is a "diminished" country after Brexit "too small to fend for itself outside the EU", Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has said