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Clashes in the Commons look set to continue today as Boris Johnson attempts to plough on with his Brexit plans.
The Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether the Government can bring forward a “meaningful vote” on its withdrawal agreement.
If the move is blocked on the grounds that the vote effectively happened on Saturday, focus will switch to the Government bringing its Withdrawal Agreement Bill before MPs on Monday, with a vote on its second reading on Tuesday.
It comes as judges are set to decide whether the unsigned letter sent by Mr Johnson, asking for a Brexit extension from the EU, complied with the Benn Act, or if he is in contempt of court.
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Hilary Benn says “you will get a decision” by holding a confirmatory referendum.
Brexiteer Steve Baker on problems with the withdrawal agreement this morning.
He says he will “choke down” issues to “get us out of the EU on time”.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak denied bringing the Brexit deal back for a vote is a bid to portray as Parliament being obstructive.
Asked if the only real purpose is to portray a Parliament being obstructive, he replied:
It’s rather the opposite, actually. It’s giving Parliament the opportunity to more positively affirm its support for this deal, which is something that needs to happen.
He said he hopes “very much” Commons Speaker John Bercow allows for the deal to be voted on Monday.
Mr Sunak told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
What the Oliver Letwin amendment did is mean that Parliament hasn’t given its explicit positive support for the deal.
It was an observation on the deal happening and I think what people need is a substantive vote.
Chief secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak quizzed on the economic impacts of the proposed Brexit deal.
Lord Pannick QC has said he thinks the PM is “on the right side of the law on this occasion”, after sending a letter to the EU even though it was unsigned.
He told Today “I don’t think that he’s acted unlawfully”.
He also said he helped Tory rebel Sir Oliver Letwin to draft his Letwin amendment, though said he did not advise him while he was in Downing Street discussing it on Friday to advise him on political tactics.
“The idea… that I am some sort of political mastermind is complete and absolute nonsense,” he said.
The pound slipped from its five-month high as financial markets opened for the first time since MPs backed a move to delay approval of the Brexit deal.
Justine Greening says it is “disingenuous” to say Brexit is “all over” if a vote on the agreement is passed.
She says the “political rewiring” will rumble on no matter if the agreement is given Parliamentary support or ot and added that “Brexiteers haven’t agreed what Brexit means”.
French politician Bruno Bonnell says he thinks any extension granted by the EU on Brexit would be subject to conditions.
Mr Bonnell, a member of the French National Assembly, said he believes the EU does not want any extension if possible, he told the Today programme.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said he does not believe that it is within parliamentary rules to bring back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal for another vote.
The MP criticised the “utterly chaotic” current situation and said Labour wanted instead to vote to end the privatisation of the NHS and “safeguard” it from a Donald Trump trade deal after Brexit.
Mr Ashworth told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
That debate on the Queen’s Speech has been abandoned, as far as we understand it, and the Government are trying to bring back a vote which was dealt with in the House of Commons on Saturday.
I don’t understand how that is in the rules of the House of Commons, given on Saturday we amended that motion and that motion passed the House of Commons.
Mr Baker says Brexiteers need to “choke down” some of the issues they have with the withdrawal agreement.
Mr Baker says Eurosceptics should back the deal and vote for legislation “all the way through”, unless it is “wrecked” by amendments.
He has also pushed to back the Government.
He says there are “still problems” with the Withdrawal Agreement but he feels it is in the national interest to back it to “get us out of the EU” on time.
ERG chairman Steve Baker is on BBC Radio 4 Today.
He has defended the PM sending a letter to Brussels in regards to an EU extension despite stating he would not, saying “he’s been very clear in what he’s done” in abiding the law.
Meanwhile, judges are set to decide whether Boris Johnson’s unsigned letter sent to the EU asking for a Brexit extension complied with the law or if the Prime Minister is in contempt of court.
Mr Johnson sent a letter to the EU requesting an extension, as required by the so-called Benn Act but, he did not sign it.
He also sent a second signed letter saying a delay would be a mistake.
A hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh led by Scotland’s most senior judge Lord Carloway was postponed until after the deadline for the extension letter to be sent under the terms of the Benn Act.
Judges to decide whether PM’s unsigned letter broke law
Evening StandardJudges are set to decide whether Boris Johnson’s unsigned letter sent to the EU asking for a Brexit extension complied with the law or if the Prime Minister is in contempt of court. Mr Johnson sent a letter to the EU requesting an extension, as required by the so-called Benn Act but, he did not sign it. He also sent a second signed letter saying a delay would be a mistake.
Boris Johnson is set for a showdown with Commons Speaker John Bercow as the Prime Minister pushes for a knife-edge Commons vote on his Brexit deal.
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