Brexit vote: Labour to back Yvette Cooper amendment to stop no-deal

Labour source tells The Independent: 'We are backing the [Yvette] Cooper amendment to reduce the threat of the chaos of a no-deal exit'

Labour has thrown its weight behind a plan to prevent a no-deal Brexit and give MPs the power to request an extension to Article 50.

The proposal from the Labour MP Yvette Cooper, calls for a vote on a draft Bill that would give parliament control over the Brexit process if the prime minister fails to secure backing for her deal by 26 February.

If passed and Ms May fails to rally support before the deadline, MPs would then get a vote on requesting an extension to Article 50 - delaying the day Britain leaves the EU, which is currently due to happen on 29 March.

A Labour source told The Independent: “We are backing the [Yvette] Cooper amendment to reduce the threat of the chaos of a no-deal exit.

“The Cooper Bill could give MPs a temporary window to agree a deal that can bring the country together.”

The source made clear the party would attempt to shorten the proposed extension period in Ms Cooper’s Bill which currently stands at nine months.

Ms Cooper’s plan, which also has the backing of some senior Conservative MPs such as Nick Boles, now appears likely to pass given the support from Labour's frontbench —if it selected for voting on by the Commons speaker John Bercow on Tuesday.

Any request to extend Article 50, however, would ultimately have to receive the unanimous backing of the EU 27, who have the power the grant or refuse an extension to the two-year timeframe of the negotiations.

Labour’s Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, later said that the party will support amendments, including Ms Cooper’s, “which will allow parliament to fill the void of leadership left by the prime minister”.

The decision to back the plan came as Ms May told her cabinet that she is prepared to reopen the withdrawal agreement to seek legally-binding changes to the backstop.

Her official spokesman said she aims to return to the Commons "as soon as possible" with a revised deal which will be subject to a "meaningful vote" by MPs. If this is rejected by MPs, she will table a further amendable motion for debate the next day.

If no new deal has been reached with the EU by February 13, Ms May will make a statement to the House that day and table an amendable motion for debate the following day.