Brexit: MPs given green light to vote on ditching Irish backstop and removing no deal

Plans by Sir Graham Brady backed by Theresa May and from Yvette Cooper backed by Jeremy Corbyn were selected

MPs will have the chance to vote on plans aiming to renegotiate the backstop and block a no-deal Brexit, commons speaker John Bercow has announced.

Following days of speculation, amendments tabled by senior Tory MP Sir Graham Brady to seek changes to the withdrawal deal and from Labour MP Yvette Cooper to stop a no-deal Brexit on March 29, were both selected for voting on by Mr Bercow.

In total seven alternative proposals to Theresa May’s deal were selected by the speaker for MPs to make a decision on in the commons.

It comes after Ms May said in cabinet on Tuesday morning that should would back Mr Brady’s amendment and if it is passed go back to Brussels to demand changes to the ‘Irish backstop’ so hated by many of her backbenchers.

As well as those tabled by Ms Cooper and Sir Graham, Mr Bercow selected motions tabled by Dominic Grieve, Jeremy Corbyn, Caroline Spelman, Rachel Reeves and Ian Blackford for consideration in debate on the government’s Brexit deal.

Speaking after cabinet on Tuesday, Ms May’s said that to win the support of the House of Commons, legal changes will be required to the backstop – which as it stands comes into play if the UK cannot seal future trade deal with the EU by December 2020 potentially looking the country in an indefinite customs union.

Her spokesman explaied later: “The PM said that parliament had said on many occasions what it does not want.

“The EU has asked us what we do want, what this parliament will accept – she said a vote for the Brady amendment makes it clear the current nature of the backstop is the key reason that the house cannot support the deal.”

Labour meanwhile, is set to back the plan from Ms Cooper which aims to delay Brexit in order to prevent the “chaos” of a no-deal departure from the EU.

Mr Corbyn’s party will back the amendment which would result in the extension of Article 50 to keep the UK in the EU until the end of the year in order to reach a deal.

Former cabinet minister Ms Cooper’s plan has cross-party support, including from senior Tory Nick Boles, and would allow MPs to call for the delay if no deal had been approved by February 26.

The UK is currently expected to leave – with or without a deal – on March 29, a position that Ms May recommitted to on Tuesday morning.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the plan was a “fallback” to guard against a no-deal Brexit.

“The issue is how long an extension could be and the general view is as short as possible,” he said.

“But it is literally just a fallback in case there is no deal agreed.”

He suggested that the party was looking at an extension of around three months, shorter than the period envisaged by Ms Cooper and Mr Boles.

MPs will begin voting on the amendments at around 7pm on Tuesday evening after several hours of debate in the commons chamber.