
Obviously Conservative discipline is in tatters. But, intriguingly, Labour’s isn’t looking great either.
Just when Corbyn ought to be riding high, even the chairman of the Labour Party is ignoring whipped votes.
Just when Corbyn ought to be riding high, even the chairman of the Labour Party is ignoring whipped votes.
The Letwin plan has not exactly delivered the promised clarity. Instead, the Commons has again said what it does not want.
“Consider the consequences for trust in politics if this House forces an outcome on the people that they no longer desire.”
His choice: amendments from Baron, Boles, Eustace, Clarke, Corbyn, Cherry, Beckett, Fysh.
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.
Longer extension, Customs Union, ‘Common Market 2.0’ and so on all have severe downsides.
“Cooper? Who is Cooper? My name is Grieve Incognito.”
Whatever happens, we will need new leadership for the second stage of any agreement – namely, talks on the Political Declaration.
The Brexit Secretary issues a polite reminder that “ultimately the way people express their will” is by voting, not protesting.
Trickett argues that there are other topics, like crime, which voters want to talk about too.
“I’m not sure that there’s a majority in Parliament…but it’s a coherent proposition”, the Chancellor tells Sky News.
Critics of the deal need to compromise and accept the actual choices on offer. Refusal to do so risks an outcome far worse, or no Brexit at all.
I expected a Leave victory to be a profound shock and challenge to politicians. They have struggled to adapt even more than I anticipated.
The Opposition, which instructed its MPs to abstain, split three ways on the question.
No wonder: there’s fundamental division among the move’s backers at having today’s vote at all. Labour abstains.