Four Brexit Vote Amendments Threaten to Kill May's Deal
Four Brexit Vote Amendments Threaten to Kill May's Deal
(Bloomberg) -- Members of Parliament will debate four amendments to Theresa May’s motion on approving her Brexit deal -- and they would all effectively wreck the draft accord she’s negotiated with the European Union.
The House of Commons is debating the amendments and May’s deal, and will start voting on the amendments at about 7 p.m., with the vote expected around 8 p.m. Here’s a guide to what the amendments mean:
Amendment A: The Labour Bomb
It’s an official opposition move -- proposed by Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn -- to reject May’s deal, setting out the reasons why he thinks it’s unacceptable. There’s little chance this will pass as Tories will be reluctant to back an opposition amendment.
Amendment K: Scotland and Wales Say No
The Scottish National Party amendment would also reject the deal, citing statements of opposition from the national assembly in Wales and the Scottish Parliament. The amendment calls on May to delay Brexit day from March 29, and avoid leaving the EU with no deal. No chance of this being backed by large numbers of Tory MPs.
Amendment B: The End Date
Proposed by Tory Edward Leigh, this amendment demands the government promises to terminate the entire Brexit deal if it is clear by the end of 2021 that the EU is refusing to end the Irish border backstop.
Leigh says his plan is a “compromise” that could unite the party. But Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said on Tuesday the government believes the amendment would not honor the divorce agreement and would be rejected by the EU.
According to Cox, if the Commons votes for Leigh’s amendment, the final motion Parliament will vote on at the end of the evening would no longer reflect the deal May negotiated in Brussels. That means the British Parliament will not have ratified the deal.
Amendment F: The Terminator Clause
John Baron, another veteran euroskeptic Conservative, is proposing a simple amendment aimed at curbing the backstop. It would give the U.K. “the right to terminate” the backstop “without having to secure the agreement of the EU.”
May has already asked the EU for a unilateral right to exit the backstop -- and the bloc has categorically rejected the idea. Such an amendment would effectively wreck May’s deal.
To contact the reporters on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.net;Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Emma Ross-Thomas, Tim Ross
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