Parliament vote on deal planned for Jan. 15: Brexit update

By: Alex Morales, Dara Doyle and Thomas Penny | Jan 08 2019 at 07:48 AM | International Trade

Prime Minister Theresa May chairs her first cabinet meeting of the year, as she faces a rearguard action by backbench lawmakers to reduce the chances of a no-deal Brexit.

Key Developments

Government plans Parliament vote on Brexit deal on Jan. 15
May is considering accepting cross-party amendment to Finance Bill designed to make it harder for government to pursue no-deal Brexit
EU and U.K. officials have discussed the possibility of extending the exit day deadline, according to the Telegraph
May still seeking new guarantees from EU before she puts deal to vote next week. France says there’s nothing more to offer

May Still Seeking EU Assurances on Backstop (12:45 p.m.)

Prime Minister Theresa May is still seeking assurances from the European Union over the so-called Irish backstop provision in the Brexit, and lawmakers will be updated on progress before the Parliament vote takes places, the premier’s spokesman James Slack told reporters.

“The prime minister is continuing to seek assurances from EU leaders that neither we nor the EU want to use the backstop,” Slack said. May could also speak to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker this week, though nothing is yet scheduled, he said. They last spoke on Friday.

Slack also reiterated that the government has no plans to extend Article 50, and denied recent media reporters that officials have been sounding out the EU over doing so. Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting was on what assurances lawmakers will need from the bloc to secure parliamentary approval for the deal, Slack said.

Government Plans Parliament Vote on Jan. 15 (12:40 p.m.)

The government plans to hold the parliamentary vote on its Brexit deal on Jan. 15, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman James Slack told reporters. The date is subject to confirmation by lawmakers on Wednesday. The plan is for Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay to kick off the debate in Parliament on Wednesday, and for the premier to close the debate herself next Tuesday.

Clark: Avoiding No-Deal Brexit ‘Essential’ (11:40 a.m.)

Some strong words have just come from Business Secretary Greg Clark, who told the House of Commons that “no deal should not be contemplated” because of the disruption it would cause to time-sensitive supply chains.

“Much of the just-in-time production goes through the Straits of Dover, and estimates that have been made suggest that there would be an impact of a reduction of around 80 percent of the capacity,” Clark said. “It is evident that avoiding no deal is an essential task for all of us in this House.”

Clark said that any disruption at Dover would also “affect our trade across the Irish Sea as well.” Despite his opposition to a no-deal Brexit, he also said it’s “prudent” that all government departments prepare for the possibility of one.

Ireland Wouldn’t Block Article 50 Extension (11 a.m.)

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney made clear that his government wouldn’t block any request by the U.K. to extend the Article 50 process if the U.K. was to ask for it—though he stressed that British Prime Minister Theresa May has made no such request.

But Coveney’s German counterpart, Heiko Maas, was more cautious. Speaking in Dublin, he pointed out the “big risk” inherent in “playing for time” or hoping for a last-minute deal to aid May.

France Says Nothing More to Offer Britain (10:55 a.m.)

May should not expect more concessions from the EU on her Brexit deal, France’s Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau said.

The British prime minister has already received reassurances that the so-called backstop would only be used as a last resort and even the EU doesn’t want to trigger it, Loiseau told reporters in Brussels on her way into a meeting with European counterparts.

“These are political assurances but there is nothing more we can do,” she said. The deal struck between the U.K. and the EU in November is “the best possible agreement—it’s the only one.”

Barclay: Threats Against MPs a Reason to Back Deal (10 a.m.)

Members of Parliament were shocked Monday by scenes of a high-profile anti-Brexit lawmaker Anna Soubry being harassed by protesters as she gave an interview on live TV. Lawmakers condemned the intimidation she and other politicians and journalists have endured in recent months, which has included threats of death and sexual violence.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay further stoked the controversy Tuesday by using the episode to argue that a second referendum would be a bad idea—that it would add to the climate of division and deep unease in Westminster that’s dominated since the vote of June 2016.

A second referendum “would be hugely damaging to our democracy, to our politics,” Barclay told the BBC. “We saw in the appalling scenes outside Parliament in the way my colleague Anna Soubry was disgracefully treated yesterday how divisive this process has been, and I think it is time now—after what has been a difficult period of time—to come together in the national interest, to unite behind the only deal on the table.”

Germany Urges U.K. MPs to Get Behind Deal (9:40 a.m.)

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has urged British policy makers to “act responsibly” and “unite behind the agreement that we have spent so much time and effort negotiating.” In the text of a speech in Dublin on Tuesday, Maas also emphasized the EU’s “full solidarity with Ireland.”

“We insisted, and still do, that a hard border dividing the Irish island is unacceptable,” Maas said. “Some people called us stubborn. But the truth is: Avoiding a hard border in Ireland is a fundamental concern.”

Barclay Says Practical Difficulties to Delay Brexit (8 a.m.)

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay pushed back against the notion of delaying Brexit beyond March 29, pointing out the “practical difficulties” it would cause because of European Parliamentary elections due at the end of May.

He also said doing so would require the agreement of the other 27 EU member states, adding that he personally hasn’t been involved in any discussions with the bloc on extending Article 50—though that’s no especially surprising given his remit is now to prepare Britain for Brexit, leaving negotiations to May.

But he stopped short of denying it clearly. Asked whether he could deny that officials had discussed it, Barclay said: “Yes, because I can be very clear that the government’s policy is to leave on March 29.”

Barclay said the government is still seeking from the EU “legal and political assurances” on the so-called Irish backstop provision, and that Parliament would be updated during the debate on May’s Brexit deal that starts tomorrow. “It’s in both sides’ interest to avoid the uncertainty of no deal,” he said, reiterating the government’s line from recent weeks.

Earlier:

Theresa May Said to Mull Move to Restrict No-Deal Brexit ThreatU.K.’s May Hopes EU Will Rescue Brexit Deal With Late ConcessionPound Touches 1-Week High Versus Dollar on Brexit Deal Optimism

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