Brexit votes: MPs fail to back proposals again

MPs have again failed to agree on proposals for the next steps in the Brexit process.

The Commons voted on four alternatives to Theresa May’s withdrawal deal, but none gained a majority. One Tory MP resigned the whip in frustration.

Mrs May will now hold a crucial cabinet meeting to decide what to do and whether to put her deal to MPs again.

The UK has until 12 April to either seek a longer extension from the EU or decide to leave without a deal.

The so-called indicative votes on Monday night were not legally binding, so the government would not have been forced to adopt the proposals. But they had been billed as the moment when Parliament might finally compromise.

Mrs May’s plan for the UK’s departure has been rejected by MPs three times.

As a result of that failure, she was forced to ask the EU to agree to postpone Brexit from the original date of 29 March.

Meanwhile, Parliament took control of the process away from the government in order to hold a series of votes designed to find an alternative way forward.

Last week, eight options were put to MPs, but none was able to command a majority, and on Monday night, a whittled down four were rejected too. They were:

• Motion C: Committing the government to negotiating “a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU” as part of any Brexit deal.

Source: BBC