Politics

Read about the latest political news, views and analysis

Monday

George Peretz

Why Common Market 2.0 is the Brexit we need

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of inaccurate media coverage of Common Market 2.0, which proposes that the UK should remain a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) after Brexit. The fundamental purpose of the EEA Agreement is to extend the benefits of the single market to countries that are outside the European Union but members of the European Free Trade Association (Efta). EEA membership for non-EU states involves accepting the rules of the single market – including the four freedoms – but excludes other EU policies that many in the UK dislike, such as economic and monetary union, political union, the common agricultural policy, the common fisheries policy, and other common policies.

Steerpike

Listen: Mark Francois says ‘Up yours’ to Philip Hammond

The results of the second set of indicative votes were announced this evening, and after showing once again that MPs had rejected every single alternative Brexit strategy, the Brexiteers in the Tory party were in a jubilant mood. None more so that ERG member Mark Francois, who spoke to Radio 4 shortly after the results were announced. In his interview Francois described the attempts by MPs to take control of the parliamentary timetable and force the government's hand as an attempted coup against the people, led by Philip Hammond, and ended his point by addressing the Chancellor directly, saying: 'And if you're listening Mr Hammond, my fraternal message to you is "up yours".' Tory party unity is going well then.

James Forsyth

All Brexit options fail again. So, what happens now?

The second round of indicative votes has failed to break the Brexit deadlock. Again, none of the options got a majority. The customs union came closest for a second time, falling only three votes short on this occasion—273 to 276. Nick Boles’ Common Market 2.0 was 21 short of a majority despite the support of Labour and the SNP. If the DUP’s 10 MPs had voted for it, then it would have got exceptionally close. Boles responded to the defeat by quitting the Tory party saying that it was the Tory party’s refusal to compromise that meant no consensus could be found. The confirmatory—or second referendum—was 12 votes shy and there was a 101 vote majority against revoking Article 50 to prevent no deal. So, what happens now?

Steerpike

Watch: Nick Boles quits the Tory party

Nick Boles has just quit the Tory party on the floor of the House of Commons. Minutes after his Common Market 2.0 Brexit plan was rejected by MPs, Boles took to his feet to announce his decision to resign the Tory whip. Here is what he said: 'I have given everything to an attempt to find a compromise that can take this country out of the European Union while maintaining our economic strength and political cohesion. I accept I have failed. I have failed chiefly because my party refuses to compromise. I regret therefore to announce that I can no longer sit for this party.

Tom Goodenough

MPs reject soft Brexit options in Commons vote

MPs have once again failed to reach an agreement on their preferred Brexit option. The Commons rejected a customs union with the EU, Common Market 2.0, a confirmatory public vote and a bid to revoke Article 50 in the event of no deal being reached. Four amendment were considered – and voted down – by MPs tonight. Motion C, put forward by Ken Clarke, urged the government to pursue a customs union with the EU. It was narrowly rejected by 276 to 272. Motion D, Nick Boles’ ‘Common Market 2.0’, proposed that Britain opt for membership of the European Free Trade Association and EEC. It was rejected by 282 to 261. Motion E called for any Brexit deal agreed by Parliament to be put to the public. It was voted down by 292 by 280.

James Kirkup

The opponents of Common Market 2.0 show why it’s the best Brexit option

Nick Boles’ Common Market 2.0 plan for Brexit has an awful lot going for it: it would honour the instruction of the British people to leave the European Union, while minimising the economic cost of that decision by keeping the UK largely within the Single Market. And the fact that the previous paragraph will drive some people into a frenzy of rage says quite a lot about those people, and even more about the Brexit debate as a whole.  In fact, the story of Common Market 2.0 is the story of Brexit. It captures many of the key disasters of this national debacle and highlights the way in which people on all sides have colluded to destroy a sensible centre where a workable Brexit compromise might have been built.

Steerpike

Watch: Anna Soubry and Jacob Rees-Mogg clash in the Commons

There are still a few hours to go until Parliament votes once again on Brexit, but it is already getting somewhat heated in the Commons. Anna Soubry attempted to take Jacob Rees-Mogg to task over his decision to back Theresa May's Brexit deal. Here's what she said: Would he like to tell the House why it is that, a few weeks ago, he voted against the government's withdrawal agreement, but on Friday he voted for it? And why he is entitled to a vote and to change his mind but the people of this country are not? But unfortunately for Anna Soubry, her decision not to stand for a by-election having resigned the Tory whip came back to haunt her.

Steerpike

Tory MP: I was wrong to vote for May’s Brexit deal

There was a glimmer of hope for Theresa May and her Brexit deal on Friday when some Tory eurosceptics decided to vote for the withdrawal agreement after all. Richard Drax was one of them. But now he says he regrets doing so. He told the Commons this afternoon: I do feel I have not been true to myself. Although doing what I believed to be in the country's best interests at that moment in time, I quickly realised that I should not have voted with the government on Friday afternoon. What I should have done – and did not – was to trust my instincts and those of the British people. I made the wrong call on Friday. If the Prime Minister's Brexit deal is ever going to pass, she needs to win over Tory MPs, not lose them. Could this finally be game over for the withdrawal agreement?

James Forsyth

Why Norway Plus is a step too far for the Tories

The Norway Plus campaign has had a big boost today with both Labour and the SNP saying they’ll whip in favour of it. Given that the plan might well be acceptable to the DUP – as it means that the backstop wouldn’t come into force – and the Cabinet will be abstaining, it has a chance of getting a majority tonight. Though the number of Labour MPs who won’t want to back continuing free movement or are holding out for a second referendum means it’ll probably fall just short. If it does pass, then the chances of a general election go up again. Fighting an election on the customs union would be a hard ask. It is difficult to see how other issues wouldn’t crowd it out after the first few days of the campaign.

Steerpike

Watch: Steve Baker says he could vote against May in a no-confidence vote

With another set of indicative votes taking place in parliament later today, talk is already turning to what happens if the House of Commons backs a Brexit deal where Britain stays in the EU's customs union. And, if that took place, how this would be received by the Brexiteers within the Tory party, who see a customs union as anathema to their Brexit vision. Right on schedule, ERG member Steve Baker was on Politics Live this afternoon, and was asked how he would react if May listened to parliament and tacked a customs union on to the Withdrawal Agreement.

Rupert Darwall

A Customs Union isn’t the way out of the Brexit mess

For some of those desperate for Britain to stay put in the EU, the Customs Union option functions as a handy obsession. Ministers, too, appear to be rallying behind this as a solution to the Brexit crisis, amid reports that dozens of senior Tories could vote for the UK to stay in a customs union in tonight's vote. They are making a big mistake. There is no substantive case for irrevocably and permanently subjecting Britain to the European Union’s Customs Union. Rather than attempt to demonstrate how being tied to the Customs Union furthers the national interest, the best its proponents can do is pitch it as a tactical compromise.

Nick Cohen

Brexit has destroyed the barriers between the centre and far right 

Dogs might not bark because, as Sherlock Holmes observed, there’s no reason to bark when they see their master. Alternatively, dogs might not bark when fear reduces them to whimpers. Which is it for the British centre right? Is it friends with the far right or frightened of it? Look around and notice what isn’t happening. Last week at the Brexit-day-that-never-was demonstration in Westminster, an effigy of London’s secular Muslim mayor was allegedly dragged through the streets for no other reason than he was a Muslim. Sadiq Khan is a bit player in the Brexit debate, the least of the anti-Europeans’ problems. But the thought of my town having a Muslim leader was too much for some of the protestors to bear.

Robert Peston

Will Labour MPs back a bid to revoke Article 50?

Labour has not tabled a motion for today’s indicative votes on a way through the Brexit mess – which feels like an important moment, perhaps because it has recognised that its proprietary version of Brexit is dead and its role instead is to work with all MPs to identify a deliverable alternative (which could be no Brexit at all) to the Prime Minister’s thrice rejected plan. Presumably the thrust of Labour’s effort in the hours ahead will be to secure support for the Kyle/Wilson call for a “confirmatory” referendum (a referendum on any Brexit deal approved by parliament). But even so, the prospect of a majority of MPs backing a people’s vote today is slim.

Steerpike

Listen: Mandelson caught out by his referendum promise

The former Labour spin doctor and Remain campaigner Lord Mandelson was on the Today programme this morning, to put forward his case for a second Brexit referendum, which he argued could break the current impasse in parliament. Challenged by Martha Kearney though about whether this process could potentially create even more division and strife within Britain, the 'Prince of Darkness' assured the public that 'we've then got to make sure that everyone feels able to live with the result.' But it appears that some people may have been struggling to live with the result of the Brexit referendum more than others.

Sunday

Lionel Shriver

Imagine the uproar if Remain had won, but MPs made Britain leave anyway

Sometimes it’s worth addressing what didn’t happen. For one exasperating aspect of appearing on television news is leaving the studio kicking yourself for what you failed to say. Heading home from Broadcasting House, I’ll often impotently mutter all those killer arguments that fled my head when they might have counted for something. Yet during my last panel on Newsnight, the trouble wasn’t the usual deer-in-the-headlights stupor, but the fact that the lovely Emily Maitlis wouldn’t let me in. So let’s run back the tape. Alastair Campbell is allowed a long riff on (surprise) Brexit. According to him, ‘Brexit’ means all things to all people.

Stephen Daisley

Corbyn might win office, but he’ll struggle to win power | 31 March 2019

The vote of no confidence in Dominic Grieve shows the Tories are, like Labour, vulnerable to bolshiness in their own local associations. In fact, the Conservatives might turn out to be more effective at purging MPs because, for all of the noise, the Corbynites have not done much. And if Jeremy Corbyn ends up in No10 after a snap general election, he may soon wish that he had done more. Two polls in the past 24 hours have been pretty good for Labour. Opinium has them level-pegging with the Tories on 35 per cent while Delta gives them a five-point lead (though this falls to three points when respondents are given the option of Change UK). On these polls, Labour would form the largest party in the Commons - but it would not have a majority.

Robert Peston

May can still pass her Brexit deal on the fourth try – here’s how

Some allies of the prime minister are desperate for a majority of MPs to back Ken Clarke’s motion to keep the UK in the customs union, at the close of round two of the Letwin process of the Commons bossing the government, Monday night. Yes you heard me right. They want MPs to vote for a plan that would drive a coach and whole herd of horses through the Tory election manifesto and would cleave the Conservative Party in two. To be clear, these are not ministers and officials who themselves are keen for the UK to agree a deal with the EU that would remove the requirement for customs checks to be reintroduced after Brexit. Au contraire.

Matthew Taylor

Sunday shows round-up: John Major – UK may need ‘a national government’

Emily Thornberry - May is 'out of control' It is now two days since the UK was originally supposed to leave the EU, but with the government's withdrawal agreement being defeated in parliament for a third time, events look more uncertain than ever before. Sophy Ridge was joined by the Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, who wasted little time in blasting the Prime Minister's approach to Brexit: [embed]https://twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1112268131295215616[/embed] ET: She's been taking the mickey... Even with just days to go she's still saying 'It's my deal or no deal', and that is not meaningful. That is not democracy. That is Theresa May stamping her feet and saying 'I want this! No one else is allowed to do anything else'. No wonder she's in trouble. She's out of control.

Nigel Farage

Why I’m battling for Brexit once again

After the referendum, I retired from active party politics, saying I wanted my life back. And I’ve had a great deal of fun since. Better still, I no longer have to resolve arguments between association chairmen and branch secretaries over how to fold the napkins at their work Christmas dinners and so on. But I’ve watched in dismay as Ukip, the machine that won the last European elections and scared the legacy parties into offering the British people a referendum, has descended into a bunker of its own making. By focusing on radical Islam, it has restricted its ability to get the votes needed to keep Westminster honest. So, with some reluctance, I’m strapping on the breastplate again and am going to lead the Brexit party.