Brexit: MPs to debate revoking Article 50 before critical Commons votes

The debate starts another critical week in parliament for the Brexit debate

MPs will today debate in parliament whether or not Brexit should be indefinitely delayed by revoking Article 50.

The debate comes after a public petition demanding the unilateral move by the government surpassed six million signatories.

MPs will discuss it alongside alternative routes advocated in other petitions including holding a second referendum and leaving with no deal at all.

Under regulations relating to official petitions to the government, any one that gathers more than 100,000 names should be considered for debate.

The petitions committee said last week that it decided to combine the three petitions into one single debate to ensure they were discussed as soon as possible, “so they would be less likely to be overtaken by events”.

While the debate on all three petitions will take place at 4.30pm in Westminster Hall, to the side of the House of Commons, without a vote at the end, MPs in the main chamber may have the chance to have a full vote on revoking Article 50 later on Monday evening.

That is because from around 8pm they will stage a second round of “indicative votes” to see if any Brexit option can command a Commons majority.

Among the options put forward for debate in that session is one tabled by SNP MP Joanna Cherry, though it is not yet clear if it will be selected for voting by Commons speaker John Bercow.

Last week, none of the eight alternatives to prime minister Theresa May’s deal proposed by MPs achieved a majority.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted on Monday: “The most important motion laid today is this one from Joanna Cherry – it makes revoking Article 50, rather than a no-deal Brexit, the default option if Parliament can’t agree a way forward.

“I hope all parties will support.”