Margot James resigned as a minister following her rebellion. Meanwhile, the Chancellor joined Gauke and Clark in failing to support the Government.
The Government won by 11 votes, 298 to 309, in a setback for Letwin – though the result doesn’t guarantee No Deal any more than a vote the other way would barred it.
Gove, Stewart and perhaps others too could see their standing and prospects damaged this afternoon.
We need a positive alternative to encourage enterprise. That must include lower Business Rates and ending perverse planning rules.
She says this could have been a contest that was about hard choices for the Party – but won’t be.
The pattern of results over many months suggests that the worse the position of the Conservatives, the better he does.
Plus: I’m still backing Brexit. The Independent Group’s Tory targets. And: it’s a disgrace that public money is being spent on the European elections.
It passed its Third Reading by a single vote. Now the former Labour Minister’s anti-No Deal Bill is off to the Lords.
They are at least on-brand in refusing to accept the result of the vote on the proposal which has already taken place – which they lost.
Hers or Letwins? That’s what the choice is narrowing down to. From the point of view of trust in politics, how MPs vote will now make little difference – if any.
The list includes the three who resigned from the Government this evening – and Green, one of the Prime Minister’s oldest allies.
The proposal was rejected by 314 votes to 311. Boles, Gyimah, Spelman and Vaizey were among those to rebel. Plus Brine and Harrington.
A dedicated band of Conservative pro-Brexit holdouts stands ready to perish rather than let May’s deal pass.
By longstanding convention the Speaker casts his vote for the status quo. But would he?
Halfon and Stevenson join the Europhile ultras in a very near miss for the Government.