May orders divided cabinet to boycott Brexit indicative votes

[brooklynite]

Source: The Guardian

Theresa May’s warring cabinet ministers will once again be instructed to boycott Monday night’s indicative votes, as MPs make a second attempt to coalesce around an alternative to her Brexit deal.

The prime minister had suggested she would “engage constructively” with the indicative votes process, set up by a cross-party group of MPs led by the former Conservative minister Sir Oliver Letwin.

But Downing Street sources confirmed that the government would whip Conservative MPs to oppose the business motion kicking off Monday’s votes.

Backbench MPs and junior ministers will then be allowed a free vote on the various options being considered, which are likely to include a customs union, a Norway-style “common market 2.0” deal, and a referendum.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/01/may-to-order-divided-cabinet-to-boycott-brexit-indicative-votes

[brooklynite]

1. UPDATE: Labour to back common market 2.0/Norway amendment for staying in single market

Labour has confirmed that, if the common market 2.0 amendment is selected, it will whip its MPs to vote in favour. Commons market 2.0 is now the preferred way of describing what used to be called Norway plus.

That suggests the party is shifting its stance towards staying in the single market, and accepting free movement, as Emily Thornberry was hinting earlier (see 2.12pm), although it will be important to see what clarifications are offered from the front bench during the debate. (Remember, last week the party backed the Beckett/second referendum amendment, while saying publicly it did not agree with every aspect of what it was proposing.)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2019/apr/01/brexit-latest-live-news-indicative-votes--brexiters-dismiss-customs-union-plan-as-unacceptable-as-mps-prepare-for-more-indicative-votes-live-new

[brooklynite]

2. UPDATE: 170 Tory MPs demand Britain leave EU on April 12 with or without deal

Link to tweet

[B Stieg]

3. What. A. Mess.

[turbinetree]

4. Hey May, you and your bigoted team has lost how many times04 and counting

You and your team of has been's remind me of Charlie Brown and Lucie, when Lucie removes the football every time Charlie wants to kick it...................you lost your Brexit, it is a "CLUSTERFUCK" give up and bring back and let the people vote again............

[AllaN01Bear]

5. its also time to give her a no confidence vote and disolve this goverment.

[LS_Editor]

6. Is May a Russian agent? She's sure screwing things up like one would.

[brooklynite]

7. UPDATE: Here's what Parliament will vote on

(nb: the Speaker, not the Prime Minister, decides what amendments can be voted on)

Here’s what the Parliament Speaker will hold votes on:

Motion C: customs union
The Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke’s customs union plan requires any Brexit deal to include, as a minimum, a commitment to negotiate a “permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU”. This was defeated by the smallest margin in the first round, falling just six votes short.

On 27 March, MPs voted against this option by 271 to 265.

Motion D: common market 2.0
Tabled by the Conservatives Nick Boles, Robert Halfon and Dame Caroline Spelman, Labour’s Stephen Kinnock and Lucy Powell plus the SNP’s Stewart Hosie. The motion proposes UK membership of the European Free Trade Association (Efta) and European Economic Area. It allows continued participation in the single market and a “comprehensive customs arrangement” with the EU after Brexit – including a “UK say” on future EU trade deals – would remain in place until the agreement of a wider trade deal that guarantees frictionless movement of goods and an open border in Ireland.

On 27 March, MPs voted against this option by 283 to 189.

Motion E: confirmatory public vote
It has been drawn up by the Labour MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson. This motion would require a public vote to confirm any Brexit deal passed by parliament before its ratification. This option, tabled last time by the Labour former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, polled the highest number of votes.

On 27 March, MPs voted against this option by 295 to 268.

Motion G: parliamentary supremacy
The SNP MP Joanna Cherry joins Grieve and MPs from other parties with this plan to seek an extension to the Brexit process, and if this is not possible then parliament will choose between either no deal or revoking article 50. An inquiry would follow to assess the future relationship likely to be acceptable to Brussels and have majority support in the UK.

On 27 March, MPs voted against this option by 293 to 184.

[Recursion]

8. The biggest problem is most of these proposals require the Withdrawal Agreement to pass first

And that's the thing that's failed three times now.

[MrScorpio]

9. I think that this handy flowchart will explain what's happening next...