Remain plotter MPs have today finally unveiled their bid to water-down and or block Brexit altogether – amid warnings 40 ministers will quit to stop a no deal.
Tory MP Dominic Grieve and Labour’s Yvette Cooper have tabled their Brexit amendments which will be voted on in a crunch Commons showdown next Tuesday.
Ms Cooper’s amendment would suspend parliamentary rules to allow Bills tabled by backbench MPs to have priority over government business.
This would pave the way for her Bill to delay Brexit by extending Article 50 by another nine months to be debated.
While Mr Grieve has tabled an amendment which would suspend the same standing order to let MPs take control of debates and hold indicative votes on Brexit.
Remainer MPs will use the tactic to push for a softer Norway-style agreement, block a no deal and even call for a second referendum.
MPs Dominic Grieve (pictured left) and Yvette Cooper (pictured right) have revealed their plot to water down Brexit by tabling amendments which overturn over 100 years of Commons procedure to try to hijack the debate
Ms Cooper and Mr Grieve, who are from rival political parties appear to be working hand in glove to try to block a no deal Brexit.
Meanwhile, Remainer minister Amber Rudd has reportedly warned No10 that 40 ministers could quit if they are not allowed a free vote on extending Article 50.
And Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood last night broke ranks with Theresa May to hint that Brexit should be delayed.
Mr Grieve accused the Government of trying to ‘close down debate’ on Brexit.
He told Sky: ‘What my amendment does is to identify a number of Tuesdays between now and the date of Brexit in which the business will be controlled by the House itself and not by the Government.
‘There will be a motion in neutral terms to start the day which is about looking at Brexit and what is going on, then Members of Parliament can table amendments for consideration which can be turned into resolutions of the House.’
He added: ‘A resolution of the House is a pretty solemn thing.
‘If the House says that it thinks something ought to be done which the Government isn’t doing, the government can decide to ignore it but historically it would be very unusual in our constitution for that to happen.’
While Jeremy Corbyn has tabled an amendment demanding a permanent customs union with the EU and laying the groundwork for a second referendum if a majority of MPs back one.
MPs have finally shown their hands in the plot to hijack the Brexit talks – exactly a week before the next crunch Commons Brexit showdown.
And the Tory Brexit civil war continues to rage – as ministers openly break with Theresa May to demand a delay to the exit date, currently scheduled for March 29.
Mr Ellwood suggested delaying Brexit is an easy decision – comparing the dilemma over whether to extend Article 50 to cooking a cake for a bit longer if it is underdone.
His outspoken intervention came as Mrs May was in the House of Commons telling MPs that she remains steadfastly opposed to delaying Brexit.
Tweeting a photo of his son eating a piece of banana cake at the kitchen table, Mr Ellwood added the message: ‘Cooked a banana cake yesterday.
‘Told my son it will be ready in 20 mins – according to the cookbook. It took 30.
‘It was a big decision – honouring the cookbook or take more time to get the right result.’
Mr Ellwood is just the latest in a string of frontbenchers to break with the PM as the Tory Party civil war on Brexit continues to rage.
Business Minister Richard Harrington has hinted he could quit to block a no deal Brexit and yesterday branded the prospect an ‘absolute disaster’ for the country.
Speaking yesterday morning, he said: ‘I’ve seen what may well happen with this cut-off date, crashing out in my view… is an absolute disaster.
‘It’s not a road to a free trade agreement, it’s not a road to anything. It’s an absolute disaster for the country and it’s supported by a minority of a minority of people.’
Mrs May is scrambling to try to get her Tory backbenchers and DUP back on side to back her Brexit plan.
But she was yesterday accused of having run out of ideas after she unveiled her Brexit Plan B – and it looked a lot like her Plan A.
She vowed to oppose delaying Brexit and a second referendum, and said she plans to go back to Brussels to try to get major new concessions on the hated backstop.
Tobias Ellwood suggested it was an easy decision – comparing the dilemma over whether to extend Article 50 to cooking a cake for a bit longer if it is underdone
Under the current agreement, the UK will remain tied to the EU customs union and extra single market checks will be carried out in Northern Ireland if no trade deal can be done in time.
But the proposal effectively torpedoed the deal as the DUP and many Tory backbenchers refused to back it – saying it threatened the integrity of the UK.
MPs will next Tuesday vote on the PM’s Plan B – and Remainer politicians have tabled a string of amendments to seize control of the crunch talks from No10.
Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory MP Nicky Morgan have teamed up to table an amendment to block a no deal Brexit in March by extending Article 50 until the end of the year.
While leading Tory Remainer rebel Dominic Grieve seeks to set up a full-blown ‘indicative vote’ on a range of options.
Theresa May (pictured in the Commons last night) and her senior ministers will take stock of the high drama at Westminster as the battle over leaving the EU reaches its endgame
This is likely to be from no deal to no Brexit, via a Norway-style deal and a Canada-style deal, and a second referendum.
The push by Remainer rebels to try to water-down or stop Brexit altogether has sparked panic among Tory Brexiteers and the DUP.
As pressure grew, Tory MP Nadine Dorries last night said her Brexiteer colleagues were realising that they must support Mrs May’s plan to avoid ‘Europhile Kamikaze MPs’ taking charge.
The DUP’s Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson also indicated his party – which is propping up Mrs May in power – could support an Irish border backstop if it had a unilateral exit clause.
Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said he believed there had been ‘movement’ over recent days.
However, it is still far from clear whether Mrs May will be able to wring enough concessions out of the EU to satisfy the Eurosceptics.
Mrs May is gathering her Cabinet this morning for more Brexit crisis talks.
Speaking on the BBC’s Newsnight programme, Ms Dorries – previously an outspoken critic of Mrs May – suggested she would ‘swallow her pride’ to support her deal if it comes to a vote again.
‘I can feel a growing consensus among a number of MPs who in the light of being faced with these Europhile Kamikaze MPs who really don’t care about their careers going up in flames, who want to overturn Parliamentary tradition in order to stop Brexit,’ Ms Dorries said.
‘I think many people are now realising that we would support this deal in order to get it over the line.
‘Because every day here is a dangerous day at the moment.
‘We may have to see that this is a deal, we will have to swallow our pride, swallow what we would prefer, and vote for it.’