UK House Speaker John Bercow has approved a third vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s already twice-defeated Brexit deal. The submission of the government was „substantially“ different from the two previous ones and could therefore be put to the vote on Friday, Bercow said.
He threatened again on Wednesday not to allow the vote. Reason is a 415 year old rule, according to which one and the same template can not be put to arbitration as often as desired.
Only the contract without the political statement
The change that the government has now made is as follows: this time it is only voting for the legally binding exit agreement between the UK and the EU, but not the corresponding political statement on future relations.
According to the lower house chair Andrea Leadsom, the parliament could comply with the approval of the EU summit last week. In this case, a postponement of the Brexit is scheduled for 22 May. Leadsom urged MEPs to approve the contract this time, „giving the people and the economy the security they need“.
DUP remains at its rejection
May can hope for new supporters in this third vote. She had promised her resignation yesterday, should the agreement she negotiated with the EU be adopted in parliament this time. She was able to persuade some of her party critics to give up their opposition to the deal – including ex-Foreign Minister and leading Brexit advocate Boris Johnson.
The DUP, on whose support its minority government relies, could not change May. The Northern Irish party announced that it would vote against the agreement on the third attempt. It is therefore unclear whether there are enough votes for the agreement this time.
