Live: Theresa May postpones Brexit vote

Live: Theresa May postpones Brexit vote

British PM Theresa May has postponed the UK Parliament's vote on the draft Brexit deal because ..

British PM Theresa May has postponed the UK Parliament's vote on the draft Brexit deal because of "concerns" about the backstop, which could threaten "a hard border."

  • May says she will consult again with EU leaders on the backstop
  • PM says a second referendum risks "dividing the country again"
  • Leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn calls for the PM to "make way" if she cannot get a new consensus out of Brussels and the EU27
  • PM Theresa May refuses to commit to a new date for the vote, although it will have to be in the next 42 days – before January 21st, 2019.
  • May says discussions with EU leaders reassured her that they are open to some renegotiations. The EU Commission has said that the current deal is final and non-negotiable.

17:55 Boris Johnson needs a rest from Brexit?

Everybody is fully engaged in the debate in the UK Parliament. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson – one of the key politicians who started this whole quagmire – is yawning his way through it.

17:52 Do you think Brits in Europe should be allowed to vote in any second referendum? If so, Best for Britain has started a petition to that end.

A lot of people are calling for what is being labelled a People's Vote, a second referendum on Brexit now the terms of the future relationship with the EU are clear(er). British in Europe spokeswoman Laura Shields say Brits in the EU should be given the chance to vote in any such plebiscite.

17:48 Notes on voting

Was thinking same. May & others speak as if the votes of the people who voted for the first time (assumed to all be leavers) are some special, sacred kind of votes different to any other. And anyway they're as likely to feel betrayed by the Brexit in prospect as by another Ref. https://t.co/M7RO09KpWk

— Chris Grey (@chrisgreybrexit) December 10, 2018

Should the first referendum result be sacrosanct or is there space for a second vote? The debate ensues.

17:42 British in Europe reiterates need for ring-fencing of rights

"The PM needs to get on with it and allow the vote to happen. Britons living in Europe need certainty and we've now been in limbo for 900 days. But, if, as expected, she loses, we need her and the EU 27 to move to ring-fence the existing – if imperfect – withdrawal agreement straight away, so that real people's lives don't get forgotten in the chaos that will inevitably ensue," Laura Shields, spokeswoman for British in Europe, told The Local.

17:38 PM believes the EU is willing to renegotiate

"Nothing is off the table," says PM May. The main thing is to seek reassurances from EU leaders that "the backstop will not be indefinite." She says her discussions with EU leaders reassured her that she will still be able to have discussions about the deal and make changes. This is contrary to what the EU Commission has been repeating in recent days – that the deal on the table is final and non-negotiable.

17:34 EU Council schedule makes no mention of Brexit talks

The EU Council summit schedule, according to Austria's current presidency of the Council, for the end of this week makes no mention of renegotiating anything in the Brexit deal. Are they also surprised?

17:31 "We entered as one United Kingdom and will be leaving as one United Kingdom," says May in response to a question in a raucous House of Commons. The Speaker has made several interventions calling for calm.

17:26 The European Council is scheduled to meet on December 13th and 14th – Thursday and Friday this week, providing an opportunity for the PM to meet her EU counterparts directly. Meanwhile, May has been talking to EU leaders on the phone.

May/Varadkar call tonight. Irish govt spox: "They discussed the current situation on Brexit, including the planned vote in Westminster on Tuesday. They also discussed preparation for this week's European Council and looked forward to seeing each other in Brussels on Thursday."

— Ross Kempsell (@rosskempsell) December 9, 2018

17:23 Nicola Sturgeon presses for new date

The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has noted that the content of the PM's speech conspicuous for its absence of a new date for the vote. Theresa May has postponed the vote but has refused to commit to a new date. Parliament will have to be given a vote in the next 42 days – before January 21st.

The most notable part of this PM statement so far is what is absent from it – a date for a rescheduled vote. Is she simply trying to run down the clock? Unacceptable, if so.

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 10, 2018

17:21 Concern from EU citizens

EU citizens in the EU are expressing concerns about the devaluation of the pound, the lowest the pound has sunk in 18 months.

Blah, blah ………. blah, blah, blah ……….. £ devalued ………. blah, blah ………. still no confirmation on whether or not deal can be improved or when parliament can vote.@BremainInSpain

— Sue Wilson #FBPE (@Suewilson91) December 10, 2018

In other news today, the ECJ has ruled that the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50 and remain a member of the EU, should it choose to.

READ ALSO: UK can cancel Brexit before March 29th without EU's consent, ECJ rules

17:20 Theresa May says a second referendum would lead to a third referendum to decide the result. "The people voted, we should deliver on it," says May.

17:13 British in Europe, the grassroots campaign for the rights of British citizens in Europe, says the "delay is adding to the stress that we are feeling" – the 1.2 million to 3.6 million British citizens in Europe.

For those of us living in limbo, this delay is adding to the stress we are feeling. If TM really cared about mental health she would consider the 5 million of us who have no idea what the future holds. https://t.co/xNxKvrkyzX

— British in Europe (@BritishInEurope) December 10, 2018

"The elements do not offer sufficient number of colleagues the reassurances they need," May said.

17:10 Guy Verhofstadt, of the EU Parliament (and the former Belgian PM), is not impressed with the delay.

I cant follow anymore. After two years of negotiations, the Tory government wants to delay the vote. Just keep in mind that we will never let the Irish down. This delay will further aggravate the uncertainty for people & businesses. Its time they make up their mind! #brexit

— Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) December 10, 2018

17:04 This has turned into a robust debate. Kenneth Clarke and Ian Duncan Smith, both Conservatives in May's party, are grilling her on whether she thinks she can get the EU to "reopen the Withdrawal Agreement."

17:02 The PM says the latest a vote could be held will be January 21st next year, which we already knew. But she refuses to commit to a new date for a vote.

17:00 MPs need to know when the vote will be, says one MP, calling the PM a coward for cancelling.

16:58 A deal similar to the "Norway and Canada" deal would risk "a period with a backstop" says May.

16:56 The Speaker has called for MPs to have a say on when the vote should take place.

16:49 Corbyn says PM "must make way" if "she cannot renegotiate a deal."

16:48 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition, talks.

He asks if the PM is seeking merely "reassurances" or "changes" to the deal? Is she willing to drop "further red lines to make progress," Corbyn asks.

16:44 PM'S SPEECH ON POSTPONEMENT OF VOTE: the main quotes

The PM says she "has listened and heard concerns about the backstop" and will "do her best" to seek further reassurances. The Speaker has had to tell raucous MPs not to drown out the PM's speech. The House of Commons resembles a pub full of angry crowds more than a political debating forum today.

16:43 Remaining part of the Single Market and customs Union would require free movement and substantial financial contribution to the EU budget, adds May, saying such measures would not respect the "outcome of the referendum."

16:42 A second referendum risks "dividing the country again," says May.

16:41 "Does this house want to deliver Brexit?" May asks, to widespread laughter. "If the answer is yes," adds May, "We have to ask if we are willing to make a compromise." Some of the toughest aspects, such as the backstop, are "inescapable facts" of the negotiations, says May.

16:40 The Speaker has had to interrupt heckling during the PM's speech.

16:39 "These elements do not offer sufficient number of colleagues the reassurances they need," on how to avoid the backstop, says May. She adds that she will travel to meet her counterparts across the EU to discuss how to avoid the backstop.

16:38 May is talking about the people who live on the Northern Irish/Ireland border. "They do not want a return to the hard border. If this house cares about preserving this union, we must" listen to those who live along the border, says May.

16:36 "The deal would be rejected by a significant margin," says May, justifying why the vote will be delayed. "We will not seek to divide the house at this time." The issue of the backstop is the issue that has caused the largest division, says May.

16:33 "We've now had three days of debate on the withdrawal agreement," begin PM May.

16:30 Theresa May is scheduled to make a statement to the UK Parliament at 3.30pm UK time in which she is expected to formally announce the postponement of tomorrow's vote on the draft Brexit deal.

15:00 The UK parliament was due to vote on May's deal on Tuesday but May has decided to put the decision on hold, according to British media reports.

The move is being viewed as an admission that parliament was likely to reject the deal.

The British PM is set to give a statement to the House of Commons at 3.30pm local time.

Downing Street has not yet confirmed the delay but the BBC and other media said they had multiple sources saying the vote would not go ahead on Tuesday as planned.

Third source tells us vote definitely off

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) December 10, 2018

The pound tumbled to its lowest level since June 2017 amid market fears of the UK tumbling out of the EU without a deal.

In a separate development on Monday, a European Court of Justice ruling said the UK did not need the EU's permission if it wanted to unilaterally cancel its Brexit plans before March 29th.

Cancelling Article 50 process is now a real option available to UK – yet both major party leaders remain committed to Brexit, Corbyn even more wholeheartedly than May. If an election is forced – who will speak for what polls now suggest is Britain's most desired option?

— David Frum (@davidfrum) December 10, 2018

There is speculation that the British Prime Minister will return to Brussels in the hope of getting a better deal, particularly around the Northern Ireland backstop. However Brussels and EU leaders have repeatedly insisted that the deal is not up for re-negotiation.

CATEGORIES
Share This