EU Withdrawal Bill: Government secures narrow victory after Dominic Grieve backs down – for now
A last minute addition to the government's Brexit bill secured a narrow victory for Theresa May this afternoon, after arch rebel Dominic Grieve backed down.
Just minutes before the debate began, Brexit secretary David Davis published a written ministerial statement allowing the Speaker to have the final say on whether a motion can be amended or not – a major sticking point among Remainer rebels seeking a meaningful vote on the final deal.
While it still includes the phrase “neutral motion” – which infuriated the former attorney general and other backbenchers when it was inserted into his amendment at the last minute last week – Davis' update means it is no longer unamendable.
MPs voted against the "Grieve II" amendment with a majority of just 16 backing the government, which has argued it would "bind" the hands of the UK's negotiating team.
Davis' intervention bought the government some additional support, with Grieve telling MPs he was satisfied with the changes made, going on to vote against his own amendment.
However his backtracking went down badly with some in the chamber. Labour MP George Howarth claimed Grieve was starting to resemble the Grand Old Duke of York: "There are only so many times you can march to the top of hill and come back down again without losing your integrity," he said.
As the debate began, Remainer and would-be rebel Nicky Morgan tweeted: "I welcome acknowledgement from the government that House of Commons standing orders mean that it is the Speaker who determines whether a motion is expressed in neutral terms – on this basis Parliament’s vote is meaningful – and I will support Govt Amendment in lieu."
But not all rebels agreed.
Antoinette Sandbach said she would be sticking to her guns, telling MPs: "Not to have a process in place should negotiations collapse would be irresponsible. And what is more, this amendment will ensure that when the PM sits down to negotiate, she does so with the full backing of parliament. Far from binding the prime minister, it strengthens her hand."
Anna Soubry agreed, arguing the government's promise needed to be in statute – a point made by many on the opposition benches, including Chris Bryant and Hilary Benn.
Father of the House Ken Clarke also remained resolute, joking that he had not been invited for the last minute negotiations with Theresa May last week, and saying: “I don’t blame the chief whip for that… I think he knew I would take a rather strong line.”
Numbers were tight, with rebels still annoyed at what they saw as the Prime Minister's backtracking on an agreement last week. One Labour MP told Morning Wire he had seen at least two wheelchair-bound colleagues being denied "pairing" or "nodding through" privileges, which would normally avoid the need for sick or pregnant members to vote in person.
He likened it to the 1979 no confidence vote in Margaret Thatcher, saying: "There's a real air of desperation that people are being dissuaded from voting – you have someone who is so pregnant they almost certainly shouldn't be here, and someone who can't walk because they're waiting for a hip replacement. It's not a good sign."
A Department for Exiting the European Union spokesperson said:
The EU (Withdrawal) Bill has now completed its passage through parliament, marking a crucial step in our preparations for leaving the EU. It is a good moment for all those who want a smooth and orderly exit.
This is an essential piece of legislation which has received an unprecedented amount of scrutiny since it was introduced last July.
We are grateful for the careful consideration that MPs and peers have given the Bill and look forward to it receiving royal assent in due course.