UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor
- The House of Commons voted on Wednesday evening to reject a no-deal Brexit in a significant blow to the prime minister.
- The House of Commons voted by 312 to 308 to oppose the prospect of leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement on March 29 under any circumstances.
- MPs will now vote on whether to delay Brexit beyond March 29, and the prime minister will likely be forced to request an Article 50 extension.
LONDON — Members of Parliament have voted to reject a no-deal Brexit in another crushing blow to Prime Minister Theresa May’s authority.
The House of Commons voted by 312 to 308 to endorse an amendment in the name of Tory MP Caroline Spelman which asked MPs if they opposed the prospect of leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement on March 29 under any circumstances.
The government had whipped Tory MPs to oppose the amendment, meaning some ministers who supported it could now be forced to resign.
Victory for the Spelman amendment does not change the law but represents a significant expression of parliament’s will and a further significant blow to the authority of the prime minister, who had hoped
The prime minister had been forced to hold the votes after her Brexit deal was defeated for a second time by a huge margin of 149 House of Commons votes on Tuesday evening.
MPs could now seize greater control of the next stages of Brexit.
There will be a vote on Thursday evening on whether to seek an Article 50 extension, a move which if granted by the EU would delay Brexit beyond March 29, when the UK is currently scheduled to leave.
Malthouse Compromise is defeated
An amendment on the so-called Malthouse Compromise was also defeated by 374 votes to 164, a margin of 210.
Parliament tonight also rejected an amendment in the name of former minister Damian Green, which asked them to endorse the so-called "Malthouse Compromise."
The plan, hatched by a group of Conservative MPs, demanded that the UK should seek to delay Brexit until May 22, after which it it leave the EU without a deal and enter a "pay-as-you-go" transition phase.
It received support from various Tory factions but was firmly and repeatedly rejected by senior EU negotiators as unworkable.
This is a developing story.
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See Also:
- Explained: How Parliament will vote this week to seize control of Brexit
- Here’s what happens if MPs reject Theresa May’s Brexit deal next week
- Theresa May’s future is in doubt with aides plotting to force her out to save Brexit
SEE ALSO: Explained: How Parliament will vote this week to seize control of Brexit
Source: Business Insider – tcolson@businessinsider.com (Thomas Colson)