A plot by diehard Tory Remainers to water down Brexit backfired yesterday as the European Union warned Britain would have a harder exit if MPs vote down a deal.
Eleven rebels backed an amendment on Wednesday that gives Parliament the power to send the Prime Minister back to the negotiating table if the Commons rejects the final agreement.
Some MPs believe this would give them the chance to order the Government to return to Brussels to seek a softer Brexit, with – for example – continued membership of the single market and customs union. But at a summit yesterday, EU leaders said there would be no prospect of reopening talks if that happens, meaning the country would simply leave the bloc without a deal.
Theresa May shrugged off the rebels’ victory yesterday, saying she was still ‘on course to deliver Brexit’ as she arrived for the European Council meeting in Brussels. She said: ‘I am disappointed with the amendment but actually the EU Withdrawal Bill is making good progress through the House of Commons.
Theresa May shrugged off the rebels’ victory yesterday, saying she was still ‘on course to deliver Brexit’ as she arrived for the European Council meeting in Brussels
‘Just look at the passage of the EU Withdrawal Bill so far – we’ve actually had 36 votes on the bill and we have won 35 of those with an average majority of 22. So the bill is making good progress, we’re on course to deliver on Brexit, we’re on course to deliver on the vote of the British people.’
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Brexit was ‘unstoppable’.
He added: ‘It’s going to go on and we will get it done in a very successful and a very timely way. In my view it [the Commons vote on the rebel amendment] won’t for one second stop the Brexit process.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Brexit was ‘unstoppable’
‘Of course it’s right that Parliament should have a vote on the final deal.
‘That was always going to be the case. I don’t think last night’s vote really changes those facts.
‘I can’t believe for the life of me that Parliament will actually vote to stop or reverse the Brexit process or frustrate the will of the British people.
‘That’s just not going to happen.’
EU leaders lined up to praise Mrs May, as they rejected the significance of the rebel amendment and prepared to give the green light to moving on to trade talks at a meeting this morning.
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte: ‘She has a formidable stature here and last week Friday showed all of us that we should not underestimate Theresa May, she’s a formidable politician.’
Asked if she can deliver on her promises, he replied: ‘Yes, I do think so because I believe in UK society.’
Xavier Bettel, the prime minister of Luxembourg, said it would not be possible for the PM to negotiate another Brexit deal should it be rejected by Parliament.
He said: ‘To think that Theresa May will negotiate something, we will negotiate something and then again Theresa May will go back to Westminster is not good for the position of the negotiations.
‘This [negotiation] should be based on trust. I think Westminster should trust that Theresa May will do the best for the UK.
‘Westminster shouldn’t, even before we start negotiations, to have in their heads that they don’t trust the Prime Minister.
‘I’m sure she’s going to do a good job.’
European Council President Donald Tusk arrives for an EU summit at the Europa building in Brussels
Over dinner last night, Mrs May told EU leaders she was ‘personally committed to ensuring the UK continues as a close friend and ally after our withdrawal’. She said: ‘I make no secret of wanting to move on to the next phase of negotiations and to approaching it with ambition and creativity.
‘I believe this is in the best interests of the UK and the European Union. A particular priority should be agreement on the implementation period so that we can bring greater certainty to businesses in the UK and across the 27.’
Mrs May’s address was greeted with applause by her fellow EU leaders.
EU leaders are expected to agree this morning that trade talks should begin in March, but Mrs May argued they should start ‘as soon as possible’.
She added: ‘While many will say that the last few months show how difficult these future negotiations will be, the UK and the EU have demonstrated what can be achieved with commitment and perseverance on both sides.’
Mrs May also announced the UK would remain in the EU university student exchange programme, Erasmus, until at least the end of 2020.
European Council president Donald Tusk yesterday warned EU countries that they would face unprecedented pressure in the next round of talks and that splits could emerge.
He described Brexit as one of the bloc’s ‘most difficult’ challenges as he said the first phase of Brexit talks would formally end tomorrow.
‘The real test of our unity will be the second phase of the Brexit talks,’ he added.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission (left), Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council (centre) and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel during family photo of EU head of states summit on defense, migration and Brexit in Brussels, Belgium
A senior EU source added: ‘We need unity. It [the next phase] will be tedious and difficult. If not, this is going to end up in a mess.
‘And neither the EU or UK will be able to benefit.’
Meanwhile, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took aim at Leave voters as he claimed he was trying to fix the ‘problem’ they created.
He said: ‘I would hope that some of the people who supported Brexit and campaigned for that would realise – or at least acknowledge – that they’re the ones who created this problem.
‘I’m one of the people who is trying to resolve it.’