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Prime Minister Theresa May has been defeated for the second night in a row, after performing a U-turn over the government's own motion.

The Government motion was amended earlier, after MPs voted 312 to 308 in favour of including reference to ruling out any future possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

Mrs May's motion was passed 321 votes to 278, despite enforcing a three-line whip on her own MPs to vote against it.

However, it is not legally binding and is only a recommendation from the House. The default position of the Government remains that the UK will leave on March 29 without a deal unless legislative changes are made.

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Cheltenham Alex Chalk was among a number of Conservative MPs who confirmed their support for the government motion, before it was amended, and changed their vote in line with the government.

Stroud David Drew was the only Gloucestershire MP to vote in favour of the amended motion; Mr Robertson, Sir Geoffrey, Mr Chalk and Mr Harper voted against.

Gloucester MP Richard Graham abstained from the final motion - defying the PM.

No-deal Brexit results

Below is the breakdown on the final motion.

Ministers were reportedly told that it was okay for them to abstain on the final motion, despite the three-line whip.

This would allow ministers, like Mr Graham who abstained, to continue in their position without resigning.

What happened yesterday

Mrs May was defeated on Tuesday, March 12, as her withdrawal agreement with the EU was put to MPs in the House of Commons.

Three Gloucestershire MPs voted against the deal, which Mrs May lost by 149 votes, including two from her own party.

Updates from today's events can be read in the live blog below.

Live blog has ended

The live blog has ended, but you can continue reading below for a recap of this evening’s developments.

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Jacob Rees-Mogg calls for Richard Graham and others to resign

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has reportedly called for his colleagues who abstained on the final motion to resign; this would include Gloucester MP Richard Graham.

Ministers were reportedly told it would be okay to abstain, despite the three-line whip.

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What will happen next?

MPs will vote tomorrow on whether to extend Article 50; changing to withdrawal date from March 29 2019 to June 30 2019.

All EU member states will need to agree.

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How Gloucestershire MPs voted this evening

This is the breakdown from tonight’s vote for MPs in Gloucestershire:

How Gloucestershire MPs voted this evening
How Gloucestershire MPs voted this evening

(Green: vote for, Red: vote against, White: no vote)

Amendment (a):

  • Gloucestershire’s Conservative MPs voted against the amendement.
  • Mr Drew was the only Gloucestershire MP to vote for the amendment.
  • The amendment passed.

Malthouse Compromise Amendment:

  • Mr Chalk voted and Mr Drew voted against amendment (f).
  • Mr Robertson and Sir Geoffrey voted for the amendment (f).
  • Mr Harper and Mr Graham abstained.
  • The amendment failed.

Final motion:

  • Mr Chalk, Sir Geoffrey, Mr Harper and Mr Robertson voted against the final motion, Mr Drew voted for the final motion.
  • Gloucester MP Richard Graham abstained from the final vote.
  • The motion with amendment (a) passed - the UK will not leave the EU without a deal.
  • Government changed view as a result of (a) passing and asked Conservative MPs to vote against their own motion. - MPs like Alex Chalk, who said they would vote for the motion earlier, had to change their stance in line with the government.

Note this is not legally binding.

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Breakdown of the votes

Here is the breakdown of votes cast by MPs: 17 Conservative MPs voted for the amended motion and 2 Labour MPs voted against the motion.

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UK 'will never leave EU without a deal'

MPs will now vote tomorrow on whether to extend Article 50 - for a short time only.

A number of Conservative MPs abstained from the final vote, and some members of the party voted for the motion.

We will update in the live blog the voting decisions made by Gloucestershire’s MPs.

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Main motion result: Passes

The results are in for the main Government motion, which includes the Spelman amendment.

  • For: 321
  • Against: 278

The Government motion has passed.

The updated motion stated the UK will never leave the European Union without a deal.

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Government 'now telling own MPs to vote against their motion'

As a result of the Spelman amendment passing, the Government is now reportedly urging Conservative MPs to vote against their own motion - this would include Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk who earlier said he would vote for Mrs May’s motion if it did not include the Spelman amendment.

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Vote: Main motion as amended

MPs are clearing the lobby for the third and final vote, which includes the amendment that passed earlier.

This is the Government motion, now with the Spelman amendment.

However, there is now confusion over whether the Government will now support it’s own motion, as a result of the earlier amendment.

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Malthouse Compromise amendment defeated

The second amendment has been defeated:

  • For: 164
  • Against: 374

Majority of 210.

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'Resignations imminent'

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'Shocked'

There were gasps in the House on the announcement of results to the first amendment. Some Conservative MPs must have rebelled against the government, which will be released soon.

Although not legally binding, it makes it much more difficult for the government to leave the EU without at deal.

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Next vote: Amendment #2

The lobby has been cleared for the second amendment.

This has been put together mainly by Conservatives - which will seek an extension to Article 50, with the intention to leave the EU in 2021 without a deal.

This amendment, referred to as the Malthouse Compromise, sets out the plans for a managed no-deal Brexit. The amendment requests:

  • The government publishes tariff schedules
  • An Article 50 extension
  • Payments to EU and agreements set to continue between UK and EU until the end of 2021, including payments to the EU
  • A guarantee of citizens’ rights
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Major setback for the Government

Although not legally binding, the amendment rejects no deal Brexit at any time.

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Results

Division results for Amendment A:

  • For: 312
  • Against: 308

This amendment proposed that the UK would never be able to leave the EU without a deal.

It has passed.

Government MPs were told not to vote for this amendment; so it will be interesting to see who rebelled against the Government.

Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson stated earlier that ‘everyone should be prepared to walk away without a deal.’

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Alex Chalk will vote against no-deal

Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk said he will vote against no-deal this evening.

In a statement on Twitter, Mr Chalk said:

Tonight I’ll vote FOR the Prime Minister’s motion. If passed this allows MPs to stop “no deal” on 29 March & allow more time to find acceptable deal. @spelmanc has said she prefers PM’s wording so I won’t be supporting that amendment.

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Division: Amendment A

MPs are leaving the chamber to vote on the motion of no-deal Brexit.

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10 minutes until first of the no-deal votes

MPs are entering the House as the debate ends.

The first vote will take place from 7pm.

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Mark Harper will not 'break' his promise

The Forest of Dean MP has confirmed he will vote to keep no deal on the table.

Mr Harper said:

This evening, I shall vote to keep No Deal on the table and leave the EU on 29th March, as I have promised. To do otherwise would damage our negotiating position and would break the promise we have made to the public to leave the EU on 29th March.

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Spring Statement

In the midst of all the Brexit news, you may have missed Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Statement.

A number of Gloucestershire MPs spoke during the debate.

Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk hoped there would be a education funding review in the event of an ‘orderly Brexit’, he said:

I congratulate the Chancellor on his statement. If we do get the orderly Brexit that I know he and I want, may I urge him to consider schools funding in the spending review? Schools in my constituency are doing enormously important work, but they are facing increased challenges, particularly with pupil volatility, pupil complexity and rising demands. They are having to do more, and I invite him to ensure that they have the resources to match.

Mr Chalk added in a post later today:

Just a few of the key messages from today’s Spring Statement speech affecting Gloucestershire that I think are welcome:

1. More money for Glos police (part of a £100m fund ring-fenced to pay for additional overtime targeted specifically on knife crime)

2. Another 445 square kilometres of ocean (around Ascension Island) to be added to the existing 3m square of Marine Protected Area - vital to deliver on what I and know many in Cheltenham believe is our moral duty to protect the environment

3. Free sanitary products in secondary schools and colleges in Cheltenham from next year.

NB this statement from the Chancellor is NOT the Spending Review which will be later this year - and is when the main budgets are set. I called on the Chancellor today to ensure that when that comes around he allocates more funding for schools. That and policing must be prioritised.

Period poverty: Free sanitary products for schools is ‘huge step’

Gloucester MP Richard Graham said:

I welcome the continued improvement in the public finances, which is due in no small part to the continued resilience and innovation of our businesses, some of which the Chancellor met when he recently opened the University of Gloucestershire’s new business school. What a symbol of change that is, because only nine years ago we lost 6,000 business jobs in Gloucester, thanks to the disastrous policies of the Labour party, and youth unemployment was four times higher than it is today. My right hon. Friend knows the extraordinary enthusiasm on both sides of the House for continued funding for schools and, from my letter with 165 colleagues from four different parties, for improved funding for further education colleges. Will he therefore look at those priorities very closely in the spending review?

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Mark Harper: "I will vote to leave the EU on March 29"

In a statement yesterday Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper stated he will vote for a no-deal Brexit to ensure the UK leaves the EU on March 29:

Just two weeks ago, the Prime Minister promised that if the House of Commons voted against the Cabinet’s Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration today, then the Government would bring forward a motion tomorrow (Wednesday) on whether the House of Commons supports leaving the EU on 29th March without a Withdrawal Agreement and, if the House of Commons voted against that, the Government would bring forward a further motion on Thursday to ask the House of Commons whether it wishes to seek an extension of Article 50.

If it becomes necessary for these votes to take place, then I will vote to leave the EU on 29th March and against an extension of Article 50.

Mr Harper’s full statement can be read here.

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David Drew: "Unacceptable for Government to threaten No Deal"

In posts online this afternoon, Stroud MP David Drew said:

Today, we must focus on taking ‘no deal’ off the table. No deal would be catastrophic for jobs and our economy as all key employers and industries are telling us. Theresa May cannot continue to play parliamentary games with something so important to our future.

We reject a no-deal Brexit as a viable option and will negotiate transitional arrangements to avoid a ‘cliff-edge’ for the UK economy. It’s unacceptable for the Government to threaten No Deal in order to get their own botched deal through.

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Alex Chalk: "Hard Brexit in two weeks' time - the opposite of what Remainers want"

In a statement posted on his Facebook page last night, Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk said:

As I write on Tuesday evening, Parliament has once again voted down the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal. I fear the judgement of history will be scathing.

Instead of voting for a result that would have allowed a dam of pent-up investment to break over the British economy, supporting jobs here in Gloucestershire, Parliament has voted to send our country out into uncharted – and mountainous - seas. Moderation has given way to inflexibility. Pragmatism has been trumped by dogma.

Of course the deal wasn’t perfect. What compromise ever is? It carried risks too, as the Attorney General made crystal clear. But the risks our country now faces are far greater.

That’s because the opponents of the deal who marched arm-in-arm through the No lobby are gunning for completely different – and conflicting - outcomes. Some want to leave with no deal. Others want to block Brexit altogether. And a further cohort want to sow as much chaos as possible, (even though as Ken Clarke pointed out they don’t disagree fundamentally with the deal) to trigger a general election and get Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.

But those who are trying to block Brexit have to realise there is absolutely no guarantee the EU will offer an extension. The EU are utterly fed up with this whole process, and some senior officials are talking about cutting us loose. That would mean hard Brexit in just two weeks’ time – literally the opposite of what Remainers want.

And those who want no deal have now willingly handed the Brexit process to a Parliament that doesn’t have a majority for such a course and will try to block it – again creating the very real prospect of the opposite to what hard Brexiteers want.

It is very difficult to predict where things go from here. Irony of ironies, much now depends on the EU. Hardly ‘taking back control’.

But in a hung Parliament, a cross-party solution was always inevitable, as I said back in 2017. That remains the case today. MPs must wake up.

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Laurence Robertson: "Everyone has to be prepared to walk away without a deal"

In a statement issued this evening, Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson said:

In any negotiation, everyone has to be prepared to walk away without a deal. It’s not their preferred option, but the possibility has to be kept there.

However, I and others have tabled an amendment calling for the government to engage in trade talks - the draft Withdrawal Agreement is not a trade deal - with the EU as soon as possible and I hope that this is what happens.


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