Staggering 13 ministers defy Theresa May’s bid to keep No Deal Brexit on table
Cabinet big beasts Amber Rudd, David Gauke and Greg Clark were among a dozen ministers who abstained in the crunch vote last night
A STAGGERING 13 Tory Ministers defied Theresa May’s bid to keep the option of a No Deal on the table last night.
Cabinet big beasts Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, and Justice Secretary David Gauke were among a dozen who abstained on the crunch vote.
One – Disability Minister Sarah Newton – went further by voting against the Governments wishes and backing a motion to remove No Deal.
She quit within minutes of the PM’s latest humiliating defeat being confirmed.
In all 46 Tory MPs abstained or voted for the motion in a huge mutiny that blew away any lingering grip Theresa May held over the Conservative Party.
The 13 Ministers included five from Theresa May’s Cabinet - Ms Rudd, Mr Gauke, Business Secretary Greg Clarke, Energy Minister Claire Perry, Scottish Secretary David Mundell.
The other eight were Robert Buckland, Alistair Burt, Tobias Ellwood, Stephen Hammond, Richard Harrington, Margot James and Anne Milton as well as Ms Newton.
A further 3 Ministerial aides defied the whip, with Paul Masterton voted against the Government while two others – Bim Afolami and Simon Hoare – abstained.
'YVETTE F****D US'
Mr Afolami last night tweeted: “I’ve always said that I could never support a No Deal Brexit
“And so I could not in good conscience vote against the motion tonight.”
Nigel Huddlestone – promoted last month to the post of vice-chair for youth – also sat on his hands.
Sources close to Amber Rudd and David Gauke insisted the pair had spent most of the morning urging colleagues to vote against the ‘Spelman-Dromey’ that demanded No Deal was taken off the table.
But they later defied the Government as they “couldn’t face the risk of a No Deal in just 16 days”, one source said.
The insider told The Sun: “Yvette f****d us.”
Amid calls from furious Brexiteers for the ‘Remain rebels’ to be sacked, a vicious row erupted over No.10 and whips.
One of the PM’s team was said to have told the Ministers they could abstain – just as the whips were demanding they side with the Government.
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A source close to David Gauke said: “He had concerns with the Spelman-Dromey Amendment and voted against it."
“But when the amendment passed and therefore replaced the Government motion it was clear that in the final vote of the day that had the amended motion been defeated, there was nothing to stop the UK leaving the EU within 16 days’ time with No Deal.
“A significant number of ministers made it clear they couldn’t vote against Spelman in these circumstances and it was understood that they would not have to.”
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