Theresa May’s government has threatened to go to war with the Commons Speaker to ram through a vote on Brexit .
The dramatic threat was issued today by the Brexit Secretary after John Bercow blocked a third vote on the Prime Minister’s deal.
Theresa May had hoped MPs would vote tonight or tomorrow on her 585-page plan, which they previously beat twice by margins of 230 and 149.
But Speaker Bercow dropped a bombshell yesterday by saying any new motion had to be “substantially” different and quoting a 17th Century precedent that hasn’t been used in 99 years.
Now, however, the government has suggested Mr Bercow’s rulings were inconsistent – and it could bring forward a new vote anyway if it is “the will of MPs” to do so.
“You can have the same motion but where the circumstances have changed,” declared Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay.
Cabinet minister Mr Barclay claimed Speaker Bercow’s judgement didn’t “align” with things he’d said previously.
“This is a moment of crisis for our country,” he declared.”The Speaker’s the referee and it’s important that all of us in the House of Commons respect the speaker,” Mr Barclay told Sky News.
“But the Speaker himself has pointed to possible solutions.”He himself has said in earlier rulings that we shouldn’t be bound by precedent, and this is based on a precedent going back to 1604.
Speaker John Bercow blocked a third vote on the Prime Minister’s deal
“The Speaker himself has said that where the will of the house is for a certain course of action, it’s important that that will of the house is respected.
“It’s important that we look at his previous rulings in the context of yesterday’s ruling as part of taking our next step.”
Mr Barclay also told the BBC: “If the will of the house is for a further vote, I’m sure the Speaker would look at that very closely.”
And he added: “We need to look at the detail of the ruling. We need to consider that in the context of some earlier rulings that don’t particularly align with yesterday’s ruling.”
Speaker John Bercow
Last night Downing Street sources accused the Speaker of trying to sabotage Brexit to trigger a longer delay and a softer deal.
If there is no deal agreed by tomorrow night which now looks nigh on impossible Theresa May will ask EU leaders on Thursday for a long delay to Brexit, reportedly around a year.
That could lead to cross-party talks softening the deal to keep closer links to the EU, such as staying in a customs union or the ‘Norway option’ of alignment with the single market.
Theresa May was due to convene a meeting of her Cabinet from 9.30am today to decide next steps.
John Bercow’s statement of which he gave the government no warning – led one minister to warn that the Government faces a “major constitutional crisis”.
Solicitor General Robert Buckland
Solicitor General Robert Buckland suggested the PM could have to prorogue parliament, dumping the current session and reopening it in order to get round the ruling.
But Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay dumped that idea.
He told Sky News: “The one thing everyone would agree on is involving Her Majesty in any of the issues around Brexit is not the way forward so I don’t see that as a realistic option.”