Tag: Dominic Grieve

Theresa May and her cabinet are looking for ways to bring her EU withdrawal agreement back to the Commons for a fourth attempt at winning MPs' backing. EU leaders plan for no deal as other options dissolve Friday's defeat was the third time MPs have rejected her withdrawal agreement - the first vote was lost by 230 votes, the second by 149. Government position 'clear' MPs will hold another set of non-binding votes on various Brexit options in the Commons on Monday. None of MPs' eight proposed Brexit options secured a majority in the last round of "indicative votes" on 27 March, but the options which received the most votes were a customs union with the EU or a referendum on any deal. He said staying in a customs union with the EU would go against the result of the referendum and the Conservatives' election manifesto. The aspiration, strange as it sounds, for some time now has been to prove to MPs that the deal is the least worst of all the options... Read Laura's thoughts in full Earlier this month, EU leaders gave the PM until 12 April to come up with a Brexit solution; if her deal had made it through Parliament on Friday that date would have been pushed back to 22 May to allow time to pass the necessary legislation. Since the deal was rejected, Mrs May now has until 12 April to seek a longer extension to avoid the UK leaving without a deal. Mrs May said it was "almost certain" there would have to be an extended delay to Brexit to allow the UK to take part in the European elections at the end of May if her deal does not go through. Monday, 1 April: MPs hold another set of votes on various Brexit options to see if they can agree on a way forward Wednesday, 3 April: Potentially another round of so-called "indicative votes" Wednesday, 10 April: Emergency summit of EU leaders to consider any UK request for further extension Friday, 12 April: Brexit day, if UK does not seek/EU does not grant further delay 23-26 May: European Parliamentary elections Meanwhile, Leave voters registered their anger at the latest vote rejection with a protest at Westminster. Will European leaders accept a longer delay to Brexit?

The remain-supporting Conservative MP, Dominic Grieve, is facing deselection by his party after losing a confidence vote held by his local association by 182 to 131 votes. And, while he remains its MP for the time being, a meeting will soon be convened to discuss his future. Grieve has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that parliament has a significant influence over how Brexit is managed, with the prime minister struggling to force her deal through the Commons. He is also a prominent remainer, has called for a second referendum and addressed a pro-EU rally attended by an estimated one million people in Westminster last weekend. Following the announcement of his defeat on Friday evening, Grieve was defended by fellow parliamentarians from his own party, and others. Antoinette Sandbach (@Sandbach) Dominic Grieve is principled intelligent and an outstanding politician and lawyer. He has been true to his values and beliefs. I’ve no intention of leaving it.” He has not commented following the announcement of his defeat at the Beaconsfield association. “I took the decision to ‘fight City Hall from within’ and resigned as Ukip chairman to join the Tory party a year ago,” Conway reportedly told local members. In a statement released on Friday evening, Beaconsfield Conservative association’s chair, Jackson Ng, said: “I am pleased to see over 350 members attend.

Another week, another neutral government motion on Brexit, and yet another set of amendments. Here are the amendments tabled, some of which will be voted on later on Monday. It will be the Speaker, John Bercow, who will decide which of these are selected. The backbench indicative vote plan Led by the Tory former ministers Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve, and signed by more than 120 cross-party MPs, this calls for Commons business on Wednesday to be set aside for a series of indicative votes. It does not specify what options will be voted on, or how the votes will take place. Read more B. The pro-Brexit amendment Tabled by a cross-party group of Brexiters, and signed by more than 80 MPs – the great majority Conservative – this notes that the Tories and Labour both stood in the 2017 election on manifestos promising to deliver Brexit, and says parliament “reaffirms its commitment to honour the result of the referendum that the UK should leave the European Union”. D. The Labour indicative vote plan Less prescriptive than the Letwin/Grieve amendment, this notes support for various Brexit plans, and calls on the government “to provide sufficient parliamentary time this week for this house to find a majority for a different approach”. E. Independent Group calls for second referendum The first amendment tabled by the former Tory/Labour breakaway MPs, and also signed by Lib Dem MPs, it calls for a second referendum to choose between a final deal and staying in the EU. It seeks a two-year extension to Brexit to hold a new referendum.

But with the revised departure date looming, Theresa May’s proposal looking all-but doomed and the prime minister’s own position openly questioned, the next days really do appear crucial. Here is what could happen and when. Again, this is a neutral motion, officially connected to section 13 of the EU Withdrawal Act – the bit about gaining parliamentary approval. As with other such motions, it is intended as a vehicle for MPs to table amendments to help shape the process. Tuesday If the government does not seek to try to table the third attempt to pass May’s Brexit plan, the day in the Commons is mainly devoted to a bill seeking to maintain reciprocal healthcare arrangements for EU and European Economic Area nations, as well as Switzerland, once Brexit happens. Behind the scenes, the various Brexit factions of MPs will be seeking to rally their forces for the indicative votes, assuming the Letwin/Grieve amendment has passed. Wednesday If the indicative votes amendment has passed – the last time such a plan was proposed it fell by just two votes, and one Conservative MP has since switched sides to sign the new amendment – then the day will be dominated by this process. It remains to be seen what options could be voted on, and how. If Theresa May’s Brexit deal is voted down for a third time, can she survive? If May’s deal is then lost by another big margin, this could be the trigger for Conservative ministers and MPs to try and depose her.