Government defeated for a second time this week

The Government was defeated again in Parliament on Wednesday 9 January 2019 on an amendment to the Business of the House motion on the EU Withdrawal Act by 11 votes. In the event that the Government loses the vote on its Brexit deal next week, the Prime Minister must come back to the House of Commons within three sitting days and MPs will have a say on what happens next.

If the Government did not delay the ‘meaningful vote’ and it went ahead on 11 December 2018, the Government would have had 21 day to come back to the House after the deal was defeated, which would have been Tuesday 1 January 2019. Today’s vote gives Parliament more time to work to stop the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

I voted in favour of the amendment and the result was: Ayes: 308, Noes: 297.

Labour will vote against this deal because it does not protect jobs, workplace rights or environmental standards, it will not ensure frictionless trade for UK businesses and it provides no certainty about our future relationship with the EU.