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| House of Commons backs Brexit bill giving PM power to start EU withdrawal | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The Brexit bill allowing the UK government to begin the formal process of leaving the European Union has past the final stages in the House of Commons. | |
| The European Union (Notice of Withdrawal) Bill sailed through an initial vote last week by a margin of 498 to 114. It past its final Commons test on Wednesday night, by 494 votes to 122, keeping the government’s March timetable to trigger Brexit talks on track. The bill must now be approved by the House of Lords before it becomes law. | |
| The vote came after three days of debate in which pro-EU MPs tried to pass amendments guaranteeing Parliament a bigger role in the negotiations with the bloc, in attempts to prevent a ‘hard Brexit’ in which Britain would lose access to the EU single market. | |
| The amendments were defeated, but the government promised lawmakers on Tuesday they would get a vote on an exit deal before it is finalized by the EU. | The amendments were defeated, but the government promised lawmakers on Tuesday they would get a vote on an exit deal before it is finalized by the EU. |
| On Wednesday, MPs debated and voted down several amendments, including whether to allow EU nationals to stay in the UK. The debate lasted over seven hours. The Commons did not stage a third reading debate on the European Union (Notice of Withdrawal) Bill because of time constraints. | |
| The last two days of debates have seen angry Tories hit out at the government over its exit strategy. Prime Minister Theresa May faces a rebellion of up to a dozen Conservative MPs who are expected to defy the party’s whip and vote for the rights of EU citizens living in the UK to be guaranteed before Brexit negotiations begin. | The last two days of debates have seen angry Tories hit out at the government over its exit strategy. Prime Minister Theresa May faces a rebellion of up to a dozen Conservative MPs who are expected to defy the party’s whip and vote for the rights of EU citizens living in the UK to be guaranteed before Brexit negotiations begin. |
| The final vote on Wednesday also caused rifts in the Labour Party. Leader Jeremy Corbyn has imposed a three-line whip requiring his MPs to support the legislation, even if the party’s amendments were not accepted. | |
| In the debate preceding the vote, Corbyn was forced to insist he would not step down as leader. | In the debate preceding the vote, Corbyn was forced to insist he would not step down as leader. |
| But he could be pushed to sack his shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, if she votes against the bill. | |
| Clive Lewis, the shadow business secretary, could also be forced to quit the frontbench after the government rejected Labour’s amendments. | Clive Lewis, the shadow business secretary, could also be forced to quit the frontbench after the government rejected Labour’s amendments. |
| If approved by the Commons, the bill will be debated in the House of Lords after it returns from recess on February 20. | If approved by the Commons, the bill will be debated in the House of Lords after it returns from recess on February 20. |
| If no changes are made, the bill will go straight to royal assent. If changes are made, peers will pass it back to the Commons. | If no changes are made, the bill will go straight to royal assent. If changes are made, peers will pass it back to the Commons. |