Boris Johnsons Brexit deal could be derailed by last-ditch Remainer plot to force extension on Super Saturday

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BORIS Johnsons hopes of getting his Brexit deal signed off by MPs tomorrow face being derailed by a last-ditch Remainer plot to force through an extension.

An amendment to Saturday’s crunch vote Brexit deal vote put forward by Sir Oliver Letwin would force the PM to ask the EU for a three-month Brexit delay by 11pm on Saturday.

Oliver Letwin’s new Remainer plot could derail Boris’ plans

It would withhold approval of the PMs deal until Parliament has passed the necessary law to enact the agreement.

And crucially that would trigger the Benn Act, which requires the PM to write a letter to the EU seeking a three-month extension.

The Benn Act is only made redundant if the PM wins tomorrow’s so-called Meaningful Vote unamended.

It would effectively kick the can down the road on Brexit until the necessary legislation has been passed through Parliament, which would be the week after next at the earliest.

And it would effectively make the highly-anticipated Commons showdown meaningless.

The move has a broad coalition of support from opposition parties and crucially by several of the sacked Tory rebels such as Philip Hammond and David Gauke.

Jeremy Corbyn is said to be considering throwing Labours support behind the amendment, which would give the amendment a very good chance of succeeding.

The move is designed to give an insurance policy to MPs who still fear a No Deal Brexit could happen on October 31.

Sir Oliver Letwin and other ex-Tory rebels fear hardline Brexiteer MPs will vote for the deal but then withdraw their support when the legislation is brought to the Commons next week.

If the deal passes tomorrow but the Government fails to pass the legislation by October 31 then Britain will leave the EU without a deal on Halloween.

But the amendment has the benefit of also attracting support from MPs who want to reverse Brexit.

It would give Labour and other Remainer parties the chance to force through a second referendum as early as next week by attaching an amendment to the Brexit deal legislation.

The numbers: which MPs could vote for the deal?

As of Friday night, 6.30pm


EXPECTED TO VOTE FOR THE DEAL

270 Tories – Most of the Tory party (including 11 from the ERG)

13 sacked Tory rebels

8 Labour MPs

4 Independent MPs

Total: 295

 

MAYBES:

1 Lib Dem

17 ERG MPs

7 undecided Tory rebels

A handful of Labour MPs in Leave voting areas wavering

Total: 32

 

EXPECTED TO VOTE IT DOWN

237 – Most of the Labour party except those who have declared already

10 DUP

18 Liberal Democrats

5 The Independent Group for Change

1 Green

4 Plaid

35 SNP

2 Independents

Total: 312

 

MPS WHO DON’T VOTE

1 Speaker

3 Deputies

7 Sinn Fein

TOTAL – 11

Ex-Tory MP Stephen Hammond said the amendment was quite specific and designed to be non-contentious.

He said: “What it says is that Brexit doesn’t happen until all stages of the implementation bill are passed.

“What it is born out of is the concern that someone might choose to vote for tomorrow’s deal, thereby satisfying the Benn Act, and then choose to do something either by accident or by design which frustrates the implementation bill and then there is a possibility of us leaving the European Union without a deal.”