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- Members of Parliament take part in indicative votes on Brexit.
- The UK Parliament will vote on a range of alternatives to Theresa May’s deal, from a softer Brexit to revoking Article 50 and cancelling Britain’s exit from the EU.
- House of Commons Speaker John Bercow suggests he will block May’s deal returning for a third vote.
- Votes are expected from 19.00 GMT on Wednesday.
LONDON — Members of Parliament are preparing to vote on a number of alternatives to Theresa May’s Brexit deal.
The House of Commons will on Wednesday evening hold a series of "indicative votes" as part of cross-party efforts to find a Brexit plan which a majority of MPs in Westminster can support.
The votes — secured by Conservative MP Oliver Letwin — will ask MPs to indicate whether they support or oppose a variety of alternatives to May’s deal, including a "soft" exit, a new referendum, and scrapping Brexit altogether.
These votes, which are set to continue into next week, are taking place with the United Kingdom in the midst of a political crisis, after a huge majority of MPs twice rejected May’s Brexit deal with the European Union.
The results are not legally-binding but could put huge political pressure on May to adopt a new Brexit plan.
May is under pressure to quit as prime minister and could announce details of her resignation at a meeting of Conservative MPs before the indicative votes take place.
Follow live developments from inside Westminster. All times in GMT.
16:00: Here are the whipping arrangements for tonight
REUTERS/Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool
Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have decided how they will tell their MPs to vote on the various Brexit options this evening…
May has given Conservative MPs a free vote, meaning she does not expect to them to vote in a particular way on any of the options. The only exceptions to this are her Cabinet ministers, who have been told to abstain.
As for Corbyn, he has instructed Labour MPs to vote for his alternative Brexit plan, Margaret Beckett MP’s amendment calling for a referendum on whatever deal is agreed, and Ken Clarke’s push for the UK government to negotiate a permanent customs union with the EU.
Corbyn will also be voting for the Common Market 2.0 option and will "encourage" his MPs to do the same, his spokesperson told journalists on Wednesday.
Remember, the usual rule in Westminster politics is that any Cabinet or shadow Cabinet ministers who vote against their party whips are expected to resign.
We may well see some resignations this evening.
15:30: Bercow selects indicative vote options
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House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has just selected the Brexit options which MPs will debate and hold indicative votes on this evening. They are amendments:
B — Leave the EU without a deal
D — "Common Market 2.0"
H — Stay in the European Economic Area
J — Stay in a permanent customs union with the EU
K — Labour’s "alternative" Brexit plan
L — Revoke Article 50 if there is no deal agreed by Brexit day
M — A new referendum
O — Pursue a "managed" no-deal Brexit
Business Insider’s Adam Bienkov analyses how much support each option is likely to have.
See Also:
- Theresa May’s future in doubt as MPs prepare to seize control of Brexit
- Over 5 million people have signed a petition calling for Brexit to be cancelled
- Theresa May could quit next week as ministers plot an emergency replacement
SEE ALSO: Theresa May is under intense pressure to announce her resignation plans today
Source: Business Insider – apayne@businessinsider.com (Adam Payne)