I don’t know WTF just happened in the UK parliament. It is complete chaos. After tonight’s votes it seems that this government (and parliament) are out of control and totally ineffective.
As promised, after being defeated (again) yesterday, May tabled a motion to prevent a no-deal Brexit on 29th March. She wanted her party to support this motion but said it would be a free vote.
Except, of course, it couldn’t prevent no-deal because it didn’t specify an alternative. It is a bit like being on a bus heading for a cliff and telling the driver you don’t want to go over the edge. When the driver says, “Should I turn right or left, or put the brakes on?” you say, “None of those: just don’t go over the edge.” Hopeless.
Anyway, before the vote on that, there was an amendment to change it to prevent a no-deal Brexit on any date (not just the 29th) to stop a no deal exit after a delay. The vote on this passed.
At which point, May turned round and said that not only should her party now vote *against* the government’s own motion but also that it was no longer a free vote. It was a “three line whip” meaning Tory MPs must vote against it.
Some government ministers still voted for the motion (i.e. against the government and against a no-deal Brexit) and more abstained. At any other time, these ministers would have to resign for not supporting their government. But these are not normal times.
This motion was passed, by a significant majority, meaning that Parliament has, again, made it clear that it does not want to go over the cliff. But there are only two ways to stop this: accept May’s deal (never going to happen) or cancel Brexit (doesn’t seem likely, either).
If MPs don’t decide to do either of those, then they will be choosing to exit with no deal, despite have twice voted against it. Madness.
May’s next motion (to be voted on tomorrow) says that she will request a delay to Brexit, but only if MPs accept her deal. If MPs vote in favour of this delay (plausible) but then refuse to accept her deal again (also plausible) then who knows what will happen next.
And, in an exciting plot twist, there is a parliamentary equivalent of double jeopardy: the government is not allowed to bring the same motion back to be voted on again. This is rarely used because few governments have been as useless as the current one. But the speaker might not allow another vote on May’s deal. Who knows what would happen in that case.
But surely 2 weeks is plenty of time to sort this all out…
Update: this is a good summary of the following events in Parliament.
Bercow’s analysis … was pulverising. It destroyed the government’s strategy. All May’s parliamentary chickens had come home to roost. Her constant disrespect towards parliament, her attempts to bully it into submission, had triggered a counter-attack from the Speaker at the worst possible time. There is now basically no chance for her to hold another vote this week.
Bercow detonates May’s third vote with dramatic Brexit intervention