Speaker John Bercow delivers casting vote in historic tie on Commons Brexit plan

MPs defeated a plan for a further set of indicative votes this afternoon after Speaker John Bercow was forced to side with the government in a historic Commons moment.

A vote on Labour MP Hilary Benn’s plan to once again ask the Commons to back a range of Brexit outcomes resulted in a tie – with both supporters and opponents registering 310 votes each.

That led Bercow to deliver the casting vote – something a Commons speaker has not had to do since Betty Boothroyd was in the chair in 1993.

Delivering his verdict, Bercow said: “In accordance with precedent and on the principle that important decisions should not be taken except by a majority I cast my vote with the Noes.”

That handed the government victory by one vote.

The result means there are now no plans to hold indicative votes on Monday, although Theresa May has vowed to use that mechanism to help break the Brexit logjam if she and Jeremy Corbyn are unable to agree a deal.

In a subsequent vote allowing the Commons to vote on a bill making it the law for Theresa May to ask for a Brexit delay, the government lost by just one vote – 311 to 312.

MPs have had two rounds of indicative votes in the past week, but no plan has received the backing of a majority.

A proposal for the UK to enter into a customs union with the EU came closest to success, losing by three votes.