Tag: Tom Brake

The offer to examine a possible timetable for a second vote drawn up by the Lib Dems was made during discussions between senior Liberal Democrats and two cabinet ministers involved in the talks, Michael Gove and David Lidington, in the Cabinet Office on Thursday morning. It has also suggested that a second vote would take up to a year to prepare and conduct. Cable spoke in the Commons to the prime minister on Wednesday evening, after Labour’s no-confidence motion was defeated and soon after May had said she was ready to open talks on a way forward with opposition MPs, including party leaders. While May reiterated her opposition to the idea to Cable, senior Lib Dems then repeated the demand at the subsequent meeting with Gove and Lidington on Thursday. The Lib Dems say Gove asked at the second meeting to see the detailed plans, suggesting an active interest. “As you will know, we have published on a cross-party basis two bills. The first is a two-clause bill which could be enacted within a week, to enable the Electoral Commission to begin consultation on a referendum question. Dominic Grieve tabled these in presentation bills in parliament last week. Voters would back remaining in EU over May's Brexit deal Read more “With sufficient political will, a referendum bill could be passed in very short order – perhaps within days. While Liberal Democrats firmly reject her deal, we have no doubt the prime minister would campaign vigorously for public approval of it.