Immediately afterwards, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn called for a vote of no confidence in the government, which took place on 16 January 2019. The government won by 325 votes to 306, a majority of 19. [81] Today`s vote means that Members have approved the general principles of the legislation, and it will now move to the so-called “committee stage,” where further consideration will take place. Here is a guide to the rest on the Parliament`s website. Parliament has taken a historic step towards leaving the European Union and backed Boris Johnson`s Brexit law by a 124-vote majority, a week after the Conservatives won a landslide victory in the general election. On September 3, Oliver Letwin filed an emergency request for debate on this bill, pursuant to Permanent Order 24. This proposal, to allow the debate for the next day, was adopted at 328 against 301. [120] [121] 21 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the motion, then were removed from the Conservative whip and rejected for future elections, as Johnson had threatened him in advance. The 21 MPs were Guto Bebb, Richard Benyon, Steve Brine, Alastair Burt, Greg Clark, Ken Clarke, David Gauke, Justine Greening, Dominic Grieve, Sam Gyimah, Phillip Hammond, Stephen Hammond, Richard Harrington, Margot James, Letwin, Anne Milton, Caroline Nokes, Antoinette Sandbach, Nicholas Sosame, Rory Stewart and Ed Vaizey. With Phillip Lee`s departure to the Liberal Democrats the day before, this gave the opposition a 43-seat majority over the government. Theresa May has passionately urged MPs to support the withdrawal agreement she had dissociated from the political statement that was part of her agreement, in the hope of being able to pass it.
The day after the vote, May told the Prime Minister`s questions in the House of Commons: “We have seen concerns about Parliament`s role in the Brexit process. What I agreed yesterday is that, since the bill is up to the Lords, we would continue to discuss these concerns with our colleagues. This morning, I agreed with the Brexit minister that we would table an amendment to the Lords, and there are a number of things that will guide our approach… As my right-wing friend, the Brexit minister, made it clear in Parliament yesterday that the government`s hand in the negotiations cannot be bound by Parliament, but the government must be accountable to Parliament. It is the government that decides the policy, and we need parliamentary support to implement that policy. [52] Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC commented: “The risk is that it is a double trade. [53] Many former Conservative MPs who lost the whip to rebel against the government in a previous vote also disappeared. Chloe Smith (Conservative – Norwich North) (proxy voice of Jo Churchill) The second significant vote took place on 12 March 2019. [90] The agreement was backed by 235 Conservative MPs, four independent MPs and Labour MPs Kevin Barron, Caroline Flint and John Mann and rejected by the other MPs, including the DUP`s 10 MPs and 75 Conservative MPs. [91] A Conservative MP, Douglas Ross, was unable to choose or exercise his voting rights because of the birth of his child on the day of the vote. [92] [93] The bill will now continue to go around the House of Commons and Lords to inevitably reach the law by 29 January, in time before the plenary session of the European Parliament to also ratify the October Brexit agreement.