Jacob Rees-Mogg sparks outrage after saying MPs will vote on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal - 48 hours after it was pulled
Jacob Rees-Mogg has sparked outrage after suggesting MPs should have a “meaningful vote” on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal on Monday - two days after the exact same vote was pulled.
MPs were scheduled to vote on Mr Johnson’s new Brexit deal on Saturday evening.
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But the government pulled the vote after Parliament approved an amendment that forced the PM to request a delay to Brexit.
The amendment, tabled by former Tory cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin, withholds Parliament’s approval for Mr Johnson’s deal until all the necessary legislation has been passed.
After the government lost the vote by 322 votes to 306, the “meaningful vote” was cancelled.
Commons Leader Mr Rees-Mogg then told Parliament: “In the light of today’s decision I should like to inform the House that Monday’s business now be a debate on a motion relating to section 13 1(b) of the European Union Withdrawal Act 2018.
“And I shall make a further business statement on Monday.”
Section 13 1(b) of the European Union Withdrawal Act 2018 requires that MPs have a “meaningful vote” on any Brexit deal in order for it to be ratified.
But House of Commons speaker John Bercow rejected the idea, saying he would not let the government ask the same question again.
Lib Dem MP Tom Brake accused Mr Rees-Mogg of “trying to pull a fast one”.
He said the Commons leader was “attempting to bring back the same motion on Monday as the one just debated”.
SNP MP Pete Wishart tweeted that is was an “outrageous stunt by Mogg”.
Outrageous stunt by Mogg. Changing the business for Monday to bring back their ‘deal’. Doing it by point of order instead of a business statement just compounds the total disrespect to the House.
— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) October 19, 2019
Mr Bercow will decide on Monday whether to allow another meaningful vote and what form it will take.
What is the Letwin amendment?
Sir Oliver said he devised the plan to stop the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal if legislation to enshrine the deal into law is derailed - deliberately or otherwise.
Following the vote Mr Johnson said he did not believe the other EU member states would be “attracted” to a further delay.
He said the Government would be tabling legislation next week to implement the terms of the agreement.
“I hope that then Honourable Members, faced with a choice of our new deal for the UK and the European Union, will change their minds because it was pretty close today,” he said.
“I hope that they will change their minds and support this deal in overwhelming numbers.
“I will continue to do all I can to get Brexit done on October 31.”
Mr Johnson can still achieve Brexit by the 31 October deadline by introducing a Withdrawal Agreement bill next week and rushing it through Parliament.
