Theresa May performs 'screeching U-turn' to give MPs chance to put back Brexit Day until summer

In another twist to the Westminster drama, the Prime Minister made her move less than 24 hours after she insisted a delay would be pointless and that she was determined Britain would leave the EU on the scheduled date with a deal.

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But she dramatically changed tack after it emerged that some 23 rebels had secretly met the night before in the Commons to discuss how to stop a no-deal outcome with as many as 15 said to be prepared to resign.

Three ministers, Claire Perry, Richard Harrington and Margot James went public to “implore” Mrs May to extend the Article 50 process if her deal were rejected by Parliament by March 13. It followed a similar request at the weekend by three Cabinet ministers Amber Rudd, Greg Clark and David Gauke.

Earlier this month, The Herald revealed how a Cabinet minister had predicted that the PM would come up with a last-minute “form of words” to allay his and other ministers’ fears to make clear Britain would not leave on March 29 without a deal.

In a Commons statement ahead of another next steps vote tomorrow, the PM said she appreciated how MPs from all parties were “genuinely worried” that time was running out and that, if the Government failed to come back with a further meaningful vote or lost that vote, Parliament would not have time to make its voice heard on the next steps.

So she pledged to give three further commitments:

• To hold a second meaningful vote on the Government’s new plan by Tuesday March 12 at the latest;
• If the Government lost that vote, then - in addition to tabling another amendable next-steps motion – it would table a motion to be voted on by Wednesday March 13 at the latest, asking if MPs supported leaving the EU without a deal and
• If MPs rejected the Government’s proposal and a no-deal outcome, then they would vote on a motion “to seek a short limited extension to Article 50”.

Mrs May made clear: “So the United Kingdom will only leave without a deal on March 29, if there is explicit consent in this House for that outcome.”

But she repeatedly refused to say how she would vote on the second key vote – on whether the UK should leave without a deal.

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Labour’s Owen Smith, who accused the PM of carrying out a "screeching U-turn," asked: "Could she be clear - because she hasn't been thus far - if we have that vote on March 12 or 13, will her Government be voting in favour of no-deal or against it?"

The PM replied: "I'm getting conflicting views from across the chamber; on one hand, I'm told nothing has changed, on the other hand, I'm told we've done a U-turn."

She failed to answer a similar question about whipping arrangements by Labour’s Jess Phillips and when another Labour backbencher Stella Creasy pressed Mrs May how she would vote on the no-deal option, the PM insisted she would vote for a deal.

Later, her spokesman, when asked about whipping arrangements, insisted such questions were “for another day,” and that what the Government was focused on was a successful vote on the PM’s Plan B by March 12.

Quizzed on why Mrs May had U-turned, her spokesman said: “Clearly, the way that we leave with a deal is to get that accepted by Parliament and there are strong views on all aspects on Brexit and how that happens and this is an acknowledgement of that.”

Asked if the threat of ministerial resignations had played a part, he stressed: “We are not saying that,” pointing out how the Cooper amendment, if passed, would have serious consequences for the way the country was governed and that balance of power in Parliament.

No 10 made clear that the weekly Cabinet had endorsed Mrs May’s change of tack on an extension, saying: “There was broad agreement that this was the way to proceed.”

It stressed the issue of resignations was not raised. But Liz Truss, the Treasury Chief Secretary, branded Ms Rudd, Mr Clark and Mr Gauke “kamikaze Cabinet Ministers” over the way they had pressured the PM over a delay to Brexit if there was no majority for her deal.

Senior ministers Liam Fox, Gavin Williamson and Andrea Leadsom were said to have made clear their concerns about the PM’s three-point plan.

In her statement, Mrs May insisted she did not want to extend Article 50 and her “absolute focus” was on getting a deal by March 29.

However, she pointed out how an extension beyond the end of June would mean the UK taking part in the European Parliament elections.

“What kind of message would that send to the more than 17 million people who voted to leave the EU nearly three years ago now?”

The PM went on: “And the House should be clear that a short extension - not beyond the end of June - would almost certainly have to be a one-off. If we had not taken part in the European Parliament elections, it would be extremely difficult to extend again, so it would create a much sharper cliff-edge in a few months’ time.”

Jeremy Corbyn said he had "lost count" of Mrs May’s explanations for her "grotesquely reckless" delays.

The Labour leader accused the PM of promising to achieve "something she knows is not achievable" and her "obstinacy" was the block to a resolution.

"Will she be straight with people? The Withdrawal Agreement is not being reopened, there is no attempt to get a unilateral exit on the backstop or a time limit. She has so far promised a vote on her deal in December, January, February and now March, and only managed to put a vote once - in January when it was comprehensively defeated.”

Mr Corbyn added: “The Prime Minister continues to say it is her deal or no-deal but this House has decisively rejected her deal and has clearly rejected no-deal. It is the Prime Minister's obstinacy that is blocking a resolution."

Mrs May hit back, attacking Mr Corbyn’s decision to swing Labour behind a second EU referendum.

"He has gone back on his promise to respect the referendum result and now wants to hold a divisive second referendum that would take our country right back to square one.

"Anyone who voted Labour at the last election because they thought he would deliver Brexit will rightly be appalled," she declared.

But she came under fresh fire from Ian Blackford, who said the PM "could not be trusted" not to "dodge" another meaningful vote.

The SNP leader claimed it was the “height of irresponsibility” for any government to threaten its citizens with the consequences of a no-deal Brexit.

"Rule out no-deal, extend Article 50 but do it today; this should not be left until the middle of March," declared the Highland MP.

Mrs May explained the deal would not be brought back to MPs until March 12 because the Government was still negotiating.

"We are in talks with the EU and we're talking about the issues this House required. If he wants to end the uncertainty and deal with the issues he raised...then he should vote for a deal. Simples," she added.

Ken Clarke, the former Chancellor, asked about the length of any delay, saying: "She seems to be giving us a date for a new cliff-edge at the end of June but isn't the danger that we will merely continue the present pantomime performance through the next three months and the public will be dismayed as we approach that date and find there is similar chaos about where we're going."

The PM accepted that an extension would mean having to go through a second stage of negotiations but she stressed she would want any delay to Brexit to be “as short as possible".

Later, her spokesman was asked what would happen if MPs voted against all three options - the PM’s new plan, a no-deal Brexit and extending Article 50 - he replied: “That would be quite contradictory and an unexpected thing to happen.”