Jeremy Corbyn said there was ‘no majority’ for the government’s deal last night, as Theresa May’s Brexit statement was rejected by MPs.
The Labour leader said the PM was ‘running down the clock’ on Brexit, and tore into the Prime Minister for failing to turn up to face her defeat at the dispatch box.
MPs rejected Theresa May’s amended Brexit statement last night by 303 votes to 258, with the hard-right European Research Group of MPs abstaining over the fact that the amended statement appears to rule out no deal.
But Labour’s own demand for an early ‘meaningful vote’ on the deal was also rejected by MPs, by a majority of 16.
Watch Jeremy Corbyn take on the absent PM after the votes:
Yet again, Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been defeated. pic.twitter.com/6fBTIAxgve
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 14, 2019
An SNP amendment last night to delay Brexit by a year was resoundingly defeated – although 41 Remainer Labour MPs broke the whip to back the move.
Here’s the Labour leader’s official statement:
“Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister told Parliament that her new approach could ‘secure a substantial and sustainable majority’ in Parliament.
“However, [this] vote has proved that there is no majority for the Prime Minister’s course of action.
“This can’t go on. The government can’t keep ignoring Parliament or ploughing on towards the 29th March without a coherent plan.
“The Prime Minister needs to admit that her strategy has failed, shift her red lines and come back with a proposal that can truly command majority support in Parliament.”
See our roundup of Thursday night’s Brexit votes here.
Josiah Mortimer is covering Sienna Rodgers while she is away. Contact [email protected]
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