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Theresa May will put forward an amendment to key Brexit legislation to give MPs “a real say” over any plan to leave the EU without a deal as she tries to navigate a dangerous path between the two wings of her party.
Mrs May’s position on the issue caused confusion on Tuesday after she offered late concessions to pro-European Tory MPs to avert a Commons defeat. MPs said they had been given a “personal assurance” that the prime minister would empower parliament in the final stages of Brexit.
But later, government officials said she had only offered the 14 Tory rebels “more talks”, and pro-Brexit MPs claimed the pro-Europeans had not been offered any significant concessions.
Faced with the risk of alienating both factions in her party, Mrs May on Wednesday dispatched solicitor-general Robert Buckland to set out the government’s concession.
Mr Buckland said the rebels had “a reasonable expectation” that the government would put down a new amendment to the EU withdrawal bill in the House of Lords next week, drawing on ideas put forward by Dominic Grieve, the pro-European former attorney-general.
He said he was “interested in the concept” proposed by Mr Grieve of a vote in the House “if, for example, there was no deal by a certain time”. He added: “I think that mechanism may well give the House a real say.”
Mr Buckland confirmed that the government would resist Mr Grieve’s suggestion that MPs should be able to direct the government’s negotiating position in the final stages of Brexit. “We have got a problem constitutionally and politically with the concept of a direction,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Mr Buckland said that he believed his compromise could “offer a way through” but Brexiters will be alarmed if the final wording of a government amendment allows MPs to limit Mrs May’s freedom to negotiate.
Pro-Europeans will want assurances that any proposed resolution would give parliament the clout it needs to effectively block a British exit from the EU without a deal.
Nicky Morgan, a leading Remainer and chair of the Commons treasury committee, suggested the rebels would be prepared to defeat the government if Mrs May does not honour the “personal assurances” she gave MPs on Tuesday.
“There are a group of us who feel very strongly that parliament should have a say in all circumstances,” she said.
On Wednesday MPs will discuss remaining Lords amendments to the EU withdrawal bill but the government is not expected to suffer any defeats. Principal interest will focus on how many Labour MPs defy Jeremy Corbyn and vote in favour of keeping Britain in the single market through membership of the European Economic Area.
