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Theresa May’s Brexit is in tatters today and Tory rebels are already calling on her to quit after her deal was defeated in the Commons for the third time by 58 votes.
The Prime Minister has now hinted she will consider collapsing Parliament and calling a general election after the “grave” result and said: “I fear we are reaching the limits of the process in this House.”
Remainer MPs will now press on with attempts to force a long delay and soft Brexit on the PM and look likely to win a majority on Monday for a combined customs union preceded by a second referendum.
Mrs May said after today’s defeat: “I think it should be a matter of profound regret to every member of this House that once again we have been unable to support leaving the European Union in an orderly fashion.
“The implications of the House’s decision are grave. The legal default now is that the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on April 12 – in just 14 days’ time.
“This is not enough time to agree, legislate for and ratify a deal, and yet the House has been clear it will not permit leaving without a deal. And so we will have to agree an alternative way forward”.
Hinting at a new general election she said: “I fear we are reaching the limits of this process in this House. This House has rejected no-deal. It has rejected no Brexit. On Wednesday it rejected all the variations of the deal on the table, and today it has rejected approving the Withdrawal Agreement alone and continuing a process on the future.”
Mrs May had begged the Commons “with all her heart” to deliver on the result of the 2016 referendum — but the 10 DUP MPs and 34 hardcore Tory Brexiteers and remainers deserted her.
ERG chairman Steve Baker, who has vowed never to vote for the PM’s EU divorce, said: “This must be the final defeat for Theresa May’s Deal.
“It’s finished. And we must move on. It has not passed. It will not pass. I regret to say it is time for Theresa May to follow through on her words and make way so that a new leader can deliver a Withdrawal Agreement which will be passed by Parliament. This has been a tragic waste of time and energy for the country. We can waste no more.”
Before the vote the Prime Minister had begged MPs “with all her heart” to vote for her deal.
She told them: “Some people say ‘you’re going to lose, why bother?’ I bother because this is the last opportunity to guarantee Brexit. I say to all of you who said you would implement the result of the referendum – if you don’t vote for the motion, people will ask why you didn’t vote for Brexit?”
Number 10 will now consider to call a snap general election if MPs try to pass laws to force May to pursue their option next week.
The Prime Minister’s chances of her win had been boosted at 12.30pm when leading Tory Brexiteer Dominic Raab changed his mind and said he would back the PM – but her prospects of victory fell apart when the DUP said they wouldn’t back her.
Number 10 had warned that after a third defeat Britain faces an election and up to five years trapped inside the EU. And Mr Raab said this afternoon: “I cannot countenance another longer extension and cannot countenance holding European elections in May. I will vote for the motion”.
But the DUP deserted her and their Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson called May’s Brexit deal a “con trick” in the Commons this afternoon. — Daily Mail
Online Reporter