when I last talked on this subject, Parliament had decided they did not want the Working Agreement but neither did they want us to leave the EU with no deal. Theresa May was going to try a third vote on her deal.
Enter the Speaker of the House, Erskine May* and a parliamentary convention dating back to 1604.
On Monday, John Bercow, the Speaker of the House, made a statement. He announced that he was using the aforementioned convention to kill off MV3. The convention states that unless there has been a substantive change to a bill that has been voted down by the Commons, that bill cannot be presented for a second vote in the same session of Parliament.
This presented a problem for May, because the EU have said that there is no way they are reopening the WA to make changes to it. The deal is dead.
How did May react? Not well. On Wednesday, she made a speech. It lasted 5 minutes. It was the singular most extraordinary speech I have ever heard from a Prime Minister. She said she was on the side of the people, attacked MP’s and the Speaker and called them traitors. You can see the speech here:
Now, bear in mind, this is the very Speaker she needs to allow MV3 and the very MPs she needs to vote for the WA. And she royally pissed them off. And I mean royally.
She also put them at risk. Since her speech, MPs have had to be given safety training, one has been attacked outside a supermarket and another is unable to return to her home after a death threat.
So, that went well.
Yesterday, she pitched to the EU council for an extension. How well did it go? Well, before she did, the French President said she had a 10% chance of getting the extension, afterwards he said a 5% chance.
But, we have an arrangement. Not, it must be noted, because of May, but in spite of her. Apparently, whenever she was asked what she would do if the WA wasn’t approved by Parliament, she just said that was her plan. So, the EU took over.
So, we have the extension. We are not leaving the EU next Friday. When are we leaving? Well…
If May gets the WA through Parliament, we will be leaving on May 22. This extension is because we need to pass quite a few laws. If MV3 goes against May, if it’s even allowed again, then we have an extension until April 12. This is because that’s the last day before we have to let the EU know if we’re going to be taking part in the next EU elections.
Meanwhile, May has said she might give Parliament an indicative votes on seven different outcomes. And a petition on the official Government petition website calling for article 50 to be revoked has got nearly 4 million signatures (including mine, I must admit).
And that’s where we are with Brexit this week.
Will.
*Erskine May is the book that holds the rules and procedures and conventions for the Commons. Being the geek that I am, I can’t wait for the 25th edition as I’ll be able to download it
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