Parliament offered “deal or no deal” Brexit vote before terms are considered by the European Parliament
Parliament will be able to vote "deal or no deal" on the final terms of the Brexit negotiation before it is presented to members of the European Parliament, the government has conceded.
MPs had been pushing for a "meaningful" ballot on the deal ever since Prime Minister Theresa May announced a vote will take place as part of her landmark Lancaster House speech last month. Today, the government guaranteed both MPs and peers will be able to approve the deal first.
Read More: Article 50: What has Parliament decided in its Brexit debates so far?
The offer was initially welcomed by MPs, with shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer branding it "a huge and very important concession".
Brexit minister David Jones later clarified the vote is likely to present both the Commons and the Lords with a choice between ratifying either the terms negotiated by the government, or exiting the EU for World Trade Organisation trading terms.
"There will be a meaningful vote. Either to accept the deal that the government will have achieved….or no deal. And frankly that is the choice that this House will have to make," he said.
Read More: "No deal" or "Bad deal" – Six things we learned from May's Brexit speech
Jones also said the vote will cover "not only the withdrawal arrangements but also the future relationship with the European Union".
It came just hours before MPs were expected to vote on a Labour amendment formally stating the need for a similar vote, although the tweak could offer a stronger voice for Parliament.
Labour's text reads: "No minister of the crown many conclude any such agreement [a Brexit deal or a new trade one] unless the proposed terms have been approved by both Houses"
For any vote at end of #Brexit talks to be "meaningful" it can't be between a bad deal & WTO rules. Both would be disastrous #article50bill
— Ben Bradshaw (@BenPBradshaw) February 7, 2017