U.K. Tories Say They Are `Deadly Serious' Over Brexit Law Revolt

(Bloomberg) -- Lawmakers in Theresa May’s Conservative Party are “deadly serious” about rebelling against the U.K. government if it’s necessary to ensure Parliament gets a binding vote on the final Brexit deal. 

Ministers have promised verbally that members of Parliament will get a vote on the outcome of the negotiations but are resisting calls to put this commitment in writing in the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Nicky Morgan, who is chair of the U.K. Parliament’s Treasury committee, tackled Brexit Secretary David Davis on Thursday over suggestions that he thought the Tory rebels were not serious about backing a rebel amendment to May’s key legislation on the split with the EU.

“We are deadly serious,” Morgan said in the House of Commons. “It would be better for the government to adopt a concession strategy on having a withdrawal agreement secured by statute sooner rather than later for all concerned.”

May has no automatic majority in the Commons and could be defeated if enough Tories vote with opposition lawmakers. The EU Withdrawal Bill will next be debated in Parliament on Nov. 14 and 15.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Eddie Buckle

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