MPs defeat Article 50 amendments in Commons as Theresa May vows to get Brexit done

MPS have defeated the first round of Brexit amendments in the House of Commons.

Theresa May earlier urged the Commons to "get on with it" as MPs brace for three days of battles over the Article 50 Bill.

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Brexit minister David Jones made it clear the Government has no intention of accepting any of the hundreds of pages of amendments.

The dismissed amendments included a call from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for regular updates on the Brexit negotiations.

Tonight's vote saw the Government win by a comfortable 49 votes after the Brexit Bill passed the second reading stage with a huge majority last week.

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Theresa May said today: "Our European partners now want to get on with the negotiations, so do I, and so does this House, which last week voted by a majority of 384 in support of the Government triggering Article 50.

"But the message is clear to all - this House has spoken and now is not the time to obstruct the democratically expressed wishes of the British people.
"It's time to get on with leaving the European Union and building an independent, self-governing, global Britain."

The annual Tory Black and White fundraiser was blighted by amendments put down to the Article 50 Bill this evening.

With the Commons sitting until midnight, the lavish yearly bash was set to be deserted by Ministers and MPs.

Tory insiders planned to lay on a minibus to shuttle MPs from the fundraiser in Battersea Park, back to the Parliament for a slew of Brexit votes.

Theresa May had already planned to scale back controversial gathering where tables cost £15,000, but she faced a PR disaster as angry donors were abandoned.

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A vote had been due at 7pm, but this slipped until 9pm — allowing MPs to attend the first two hours of the bash before scurrying back to Westminster.

They could then head back to the party for dinner, before rushing back to midnight for another round of voting.

Mrs May’s team have demanded the Black and White Party is no no longer called a ball, and she has urged her MPs and Ministers not to wear dinner jackets.

The annual bash swells Conservative HQ coffers but has generated controversy in the past after auction lots included shooting weekends, bank internships and a tennis game with the PM.

In 2015 Theresa May auctioned off a shoe shopping session with herself, but a ban has been put on selling off Ministers amid fears of “cash for access” allegations.

For the first time ever Mrs May has allowed hard working Tory activists to attend the party at a discount rate in a bid to champion her “just about managing” agenda.

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