A senior Tory backbencher is threatening to defy Theresa May in next week’s Article 50 vote
A senior Conservative MP has threatened to defy Prime Minister Theresa May over her Article 50 Bill and fears of handing the Prime minister “a blank cheque”.
Neil Carmichael, who chairs the education select committee, said he was “looking carefully” at amendments tabled for the legislation, which grants the government the power to launch Brexit negotiations.
Carmichael, who campaigned to remain in the EU, voted in favour of the Bill yesterday, but told The Independent he was considering his options ahead of next week's final Commons vote.
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The Conservative MP said he wanted to make sure there was a “meaningful” opportunity for Parliament to scrutinise negotiations.
“I'm very keen for Parliament to have that opportunity to assess and decide on any proposal – or no proposal – that may arise at the end of that two year period,” Carmichael said.
Prominent Tory backbenchers including Anna Soubry and former attorney general Dominic Grieve have expressed similar concerns, putting May's slim working majority of 16 at risk.
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Carmichael's comments echo that of Labour shadow Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer, who earlier today reiterated his demand for MPs to vote on any negotiated Brexit deal before it is approved by the European Parliament.
MPs will vote on the Article 50 Bill on 8 February before it proceeds to be scrutinised by the House of Lords.
Separately, two Brexiteer MPs today lambasted the government for its failure to make progress on guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals currently resident in the UK.
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May has repeatedly stressed her desire to do so, but so far failed to reach agreement with her counterparts in Europe.
Eurosceptics Theresa Villiers and Nigel Evans today urged the government to give priority to the topic, with VIlliers stressing a desire to reassure a constituent battling cancer that she would continue to have access to the NHS.
Evans said the failure to reach a deal with European member-states was a form of "mental torture" for those affected, and called on Davis to redouble his efforts, and "name and shame" governments unwilling to reach a deal.
Davis responded: "I suspect their reasoning is the 'communitaire' reasoning of not starting anything before the negotiations start, and I hope it will be rapidly resolved thereafter."