MPs voting on five crucial Brexit amendments

Theresa May said she had found a ‘real determination’ in Brussels to find a way through the deadlock. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA

MPs have voted on a number of amendments in the House of Commons on the Government's Brexit negotiating strategy.

Here's a look at the key amendments:

Alberto Costa Credit: Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament

1) Tory backbencher Alberto Costa demanded Mrs May seek a treaty on citizens' rights after Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the Government backs his amendment.

His amendment, which has the backing of more than 140 MPs from across the House, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, called for a separate agreement with the European Union to protect the rights of expats even if there is a no-deal Brexit.

  • Paul Brand explains the amendments

2) Labour former minister Yvette Cooper tabled an amendment seeking to pin the Prime Minister down to the commitments she made to the Commons on Tuesday.

Mrs May offered MPs a chance to vote to delay Brexit if her deal is rejected again next month, in a move which closely matched demands put forward in a plan by Ms Cooper and Tory Sir Oliver Letwin.

While Sir Oliver said there was now "no need" for the Cooper/Letwin Bill, Ms Cooper said she would still lay a cross-party amendment to secure confirmation of the Prime Minister's commitment.

3) Conservative MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Labour's Jack Dromey, who last month tabled a successful amendment opposing a no-deal Brexit, tabled an amendment to "pave the way" for the Cooper/Letwin Bill to give MPs the opportunity to extend the two-year Article 50 negotiation process.

Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have stated their Brexit demands. Credit: PA

4) Jeremy Corbyn's amendment sought support for his party's five Brexit demands.

The party is calling for a permanent and comprehensive customs union with the EU; dynamic alignment on rights and protections; commitments on participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; "unambiguous" agreements on the detail of future security arrangements; and close alignment with the single market.

The Liberal Democrats tagged their own amendment on to Mr Corbyn's proposals, calling for an extension of Article 50 to provide time for a referendum.

5) The SNP's amendment called for the PM to immediately rule out a no-deal Brexit "under any and all circumstances" and regardless of exit date.

The party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Parliament must take control and "force the UK Government to do the right thing by immediately ruling out a no-deal Brexit under any and all circumstances".

Ian Blackford say Parliament must take control. Credit: PA

Mrs May accepted for the first time on Tuesday the UK may not leave the EU on March 29, offering MPs a chance to vote to delay Brexit if her deal is rejected again next month.

Mrs May was warned by a ministerial aide that she faces an “enormous defeat” in the Commons on Wednesday unless she gives in to demands to seek a treaty on citizens’ rights after Brexit.

More than 60 Conservatives are understood to have signed an amendment tabled by Mr Costa calling for a separate agreement with the European Union to protect the rights of expats even if there is a no-deal Brexit.

He told the Press Association his amendment, which already has support from 130 MPs ranging from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to Tory arch-Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg, would give the Prime Minister a mandate to push for a change with her fellow EU leaders.

He said his own job as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Scottish Secretary David Mundell was on the line as a result of his actions.

It came after:

  • A Government paper revealed that almost a third of the Government’s most critical no-deal Brexit preparation projects are not on track for completion in time for the scheduled date of EU withdrawal on March 29.

  • Tory MP Matt Warman said he would vote against an extension to Article 50 if Mrs May’s deal, which he said he would support, was defeated again next month.

  • Conservative Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said there was still “no enthusiasm” for backing the PM’s deal without changes among members of the influential European Research Group of Tory Eurosceptics.

  • International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told BBC Two’s Newsnight that he believed there was a “very good chance” of the Government being able to win the meaningful vote in March.

Elsewhere, Mr Rees-Mogg told a Spectator event that delaying Brexit beyond the European elections could lead to a surge in right-wing extremism.

“If we try to stay and we stay beyond the European elections, there will only be one winner from that, and that would be Tommy Robinson,” he said in comments reported by The Telegraph.

“I think this country has been very fortunate in not having extremism – throughout our history we’ve avoided the very far left and the very far right and I think that has been good for us as a nation but I think that if you decide that 17.4 m people voting is insignificant and should be overridden by MPs, then you create the atmosphere for extremism.”