A RAINBOW alliance of Remain MPs, Labour and rebel Tories was last night forming in a desperate final bid to shoot down Boris Johnson’s EU deal and delay Brexit.
In a landmark moment, MPs will vote for the first time on the new law that will take Britain out of the EU, with the new agreement in place.
The Government announced a breakneck timetable of just three days for the key bill to clear all its Commons stages.
The PM issued a plea to all MPs saying: “Let’s get Brexit done on October 31 and move on.”
But the Withdrawal Agreement Bill faces potential pitfalls to stop it from clearing Parliament in time for the exit deadline of October 31.
Details buried in the 110-page bill document is riddled with potential hurdles for the Government.
It restricts ministers to negotiating a future partnership with the EU based strictly on the Political Declaration and it must also secure the approval of its negotiating mandate from MPs before entering talks with Brussels.
It paves the way for MPs to force the Government to change tack and back a closer partnership with the EU after we have left on October 31 - such as a Customs Union.
The bill would also prevent MPs from forcing the Government seeking an extension to the transition period when it ends in December 2020.
But the powerful group of ex-Tory rebels are expected to demand the Government caves on this and grant MPs a guaranteed vote on whether to extend the transition as a price of their support in tonight’s crunch votes.
Senior Lib Dem, SNP and even DUP MPs were in frantic talks with Jeremy Corbyn’s senior lieutenants on how best to sabotage the bill.
A senior Downing Street source familiar with the latest numbers tally told The Sun that voting on it Tuesday and Wednesday will be “very tight”.
The opposition alliance are planning to strike in four key areas:
- DURING an initial vote today on the bill’s programme motion — which sets the timetable for it. Forcing the debate to last longer than three days risks Brexit having to be delayed again by a few weeks;
- AMENDING the bill to force Britain into a customs union with the EU after Brexit. This was being seen by No10 as a wrecking motion, as it would see the PM pull the whole bill rather than agreeing to no new trade deals — resulting in a new delay.
- ATTACHING a second referendum on to the PM’s deal to allow voters to approve it first;
- MAKING it illegal for the Government to leave the transition period on World Trade Organisation terms with a free trade agreement with the EU in place.
There were worries among Tory whips that they could lose the programme motion vote.
It will be formally opposed by every other party — including the Government’s former allies, the DUP — leaving ministers having to rely on as many as 20 pro-Brexit Labour or independent MPs to bail them out.
The Sun can reveal the SNP as well as Lib Dems are actively considering switching their long-standing position on a customs union.
That would leave the Government needing around 15 Labour MPs and independents to vote with ministers, as only four rebel ex-Tories are expected to back the plan.
Our analysis of MPs’ thinking revealed the third option, a second referendum, was falling short.
Labour Party insiders said 35 of its MPs will defy Mr Corbyn’s three-line whip and vote against any new nationwide poll. Around ten more are expected to abstain on it.
Four of the sacked Tory rebels are expected to join at least one of the votes designed to wreck Brexit plans.
'GOING TO LOSE'
The group’s ringleader Dominic Grieve said: “It’s a major piece of constitutional law and rubber-stamping it in less than four days would be nonsensical.”
Labour whips have privately conceded defeat in a bid to stop Mr Johnson winning a majority for his Brexit deal if rebels fail to water it down.
They expect up to 15 MPs will back the deal by the time the final Commons vote on rubber-stamping is held.
A Labour source told The Sun: “We’re going to lose eventually if the deal is still standing by the end.
“But it’s just about trying to hold out for as long as possible so we can get a chance to vote for a second referendum.”
The Government published the 110-page draft legislation needed to implement the Brexit deal.
A clause exempts it from having to be laid before Parliament for 21 days before it can be ratified.
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In a bid to pass the bill, ministers told MPs they must sit until after 11pm tonight.
They will have up to 12 hours to debate and vote on further stages on Wednesday.
A further eight hours are earmarked on Thursday for a final showdown Third Reading vote.
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