The government has been defeated in the House of Commons for the second time in as many days after MPs voted 308 to 297 in favour of forcing Theresa May to reveal her plan B in the event that she loses the meaningful vote.
Yesterday the Prime Minister suffered a humiliating defeat as 20 of her own MPs voted against the government over an amendment to the finance bill that will curb some of the government’s tax administration powers in the event of no deal.
It was the first time a government has lost a Finance Bill vote since 1978, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn saying the vote was an “important step to prevent a no deal Brexit”.
May was dealt a further blow today following a debate on an amendment aimed at stopping the government ‘running down the clock’ to a no deal.
In what The Sun’s Political Editor described as a “very big symbolic moment” in which the Commons “wrestled power from No10”, 308 MPs voted to force May to present a new Brexit plan within three days if her current proposal is voted down, a vote likely to enrage the government.
The amendment says that following defeat of the government’s plan, which is widely anticipated, “a minister of the crown shall table within three sitting days a motion … considering the process of exiting the European Union under article 50”.
MP Dominic Grieve said it “solidifies and emphasises the key role of parliament.”