Which Brexit options are MPs voting on?

Anti-Brexit campaigners wave Union and European Union flags outside the Houses of Parliament Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA

MPs will be asked to consider a range of alternative Brexit options on Wednesday, after Parliament seized control of the Commons agenda to force a series of "indicative votes".

Commons Speaker John Bercow has selected eight of the 16 Brexit alternative proposals to be considered as part of the indicative vote process.

It is understood that MPs will be asked to vote Yes or No to each of the options put before them.

These are the options that MPs will vote on from around 7pm.

Which options will MPs be allowed to vote on? Credit: PA
  • No-deal

This proposal would see the UK leave the EU without a deal on April 12 and was backed by Conservative MPs John Baron, David Amess, Martin Vickers and Stephen Metcalfe.

  • EEA/EFTA without customs union

This motion proposes remaining within the EEA, which means the UK would remain part of the single market and continue to pay into the EU budget, without having a say in decision making.

It would also see Britain rejoin EFTA, but remaining outside a customs union with the EU.

The motion was tabled by Conservative MP George Eustice – who quit as agriculture minister this month to fight for Brexit – and was signed by Conservative MPs including former minister Nicky Morgan and head of the Brexit Delivery Group Simon Hart.

  • Customs union

Requires a commitment to negotiate a “permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU” in any Brexit deal.

Tabled by veteran Conservative Europhile Ken Clarke, backed by Labour’s Yvette Cooper, Helen Goodman and chair of the Commons Exiting the EU Committee Hilary Benn and Tory former ministers Sir Oliver Letwin and Sarah Newton.

  • Labour plan

Labour has tabled a motion proposing its plan for a close economic relationship with the EU.

The plan includes a comprehensive customs union with a UK say on future trade deals; close alignment with the single market; matching new EU rights and protections; participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; and agreement on future security arrangements, including access to the European Arrest Warrant.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA
  • Revoke Article 50

Under this plan, if the Government has not passed its Withdrawal Agreement, it would have to stage a vote on a no-deal Brexit two sitting days before the scheduled date of departure.

If MPs refuse to authorise no-deal, the Prime Minister would be required to halt Brexit by revoking Article 50.

The motion, tabled by the SNP’s Joanna Cherry, has been signed by 33 MPs including Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Labour’s Ben Bradshaw and all 11 members of The Independent Group.

  • Confirmatory public vote

The motion would require a public vote to confirm any Brexit deal passed by Parliament before its ratification.

It was drawn up by Labour MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson and tabled by former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett with the backing of scores of MPs across the House.

  • Contingent preferential arrangements

The motion calls for the Government to seek to agree preferential trade arrangements with the EU, in case the UK is unable to implement a Withdrawal Agreement with the bloc.

It was signed by a group of Conservative MPs, including Marcus Fysh, Steve Baker and Priti Patel.

Theresa May is facing another tumultuous week over Brexit. Credit: AP

Only half of the sixteen motions have been selected for indicative voting, here are the motions that were tabled on Wednesday but not chosen by Mr Bercow.

  • Common market 2.0

The motion proposes UK membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and European Economic Area (EEA).

It allows continued participation in the single market and a “comprehensive customs arrangement” with the EU after Brexit, which would remain in place until the agreement of a wider trade deal which guarantees frictionless movement of goods and an open border in Ireland.

It was tabled by Conservatives Nick Boles, Robert Halfon and Andrew Percy and Labour’s Stephen Kinnock, Lucy Powell and Diana Johnson.

A customs union is a group of states that have agreed to charge the same import duties as each other and usually to allow free trade between themselves. Credit: PA
  • Malthouse compromise Plan A

A cross-party proposal calls for Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement to be implemented with the controversial “backstop” for the Irish border replaced by alternative arrangements.

Backed by Conservatives from both the Leave and Remain wings of the party, including Nicky Morgan, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Damian Green, Steve Baker and Sir Graham Brady, as well as the DUP’s Nigel Dodds and Labour Brexiteer Kate Hoey.

  • Revocation instead of no deal

Under this plan, the Government is called on to “urgently” bring forward any legislation needed to revoke Article 50 “in the event that the House fails to approve any withdrawal agreement four days before the end of the Article 50 period”.

It has been signed by 28 MPs, including the SNP’s Angus Brendan MacNeil and Tory MP Ken Clarke.

  • New customs union

This motion simply states that it should be the Government’s objective to implement a trade agreement including a customs union with the EU.

It mirrors an amendment to the Trade Bill secured by Labour peers in the House of Lords and was tabled by Labour’s MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central Gareth Snell.

Gareth Snell's motion states that the Government’s objective to implement a trade agreement including a customs union with the EU. Credit: PA
Currently, if the EU's version of a backstop comes into place, there could be checks on goods and services passing from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK. Credit: PA
  • Unilateral right of exit from backstop

The same four Tory MPs, as well as Andrew Percy and Neil Parish, have also backed a motion to leave the EU on May 22 with Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement amended to allow the UK to unilaterally exit the Northern Ireland backstop.

  • Consent of devolved institutions

This motion requires an agreement that the UK will not leave the EU without a deal, and that no action for leaving the EU will be taken without a consent motion passed in both the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

It has been backed by SNP MPs including Ian Blackford, Kirsty Blackman and Stephen Gethins.

SNP’s Ian Blackford Credit: Jane Barlow/PA
  • Contingent reciprocal arrangements

This proposal calls for the Government to “at least reciprocate the arrangements put in place by the EU and or its member states to manage the period following the UK’s departure from the EU”, in case the UK is unable to implement a Withdrawal Agreement.

The motion was put forward by similar MPs who backed the contingent preferential arrangements.

  • Respect the referendum results

A cross-party proposal, signed by 94 MPs including the Conservatives’ Will Quince, Labour’s Frank Field and the DUP’s Nigel Dodds, urges the House to “reaffirm its commitment to honour the result of the referendum that the UK should leave the European Union”.