Jeremy Corbyn will impose a three-line whip on MPs to vote in favour of triggering article 50 when the bill comes before parliament next week, with several frontbenchers understood to be considering a rebellion.



Several shadow cabinet ministers, including the shadow business secretary, Clive Lewis, argued for a free vote, given the difference of opinion in the party about beginning the Brexit process, during a tense shadow cabinet meeting. Tulip Siddiq, the shadow minister for early years, later resigned from the frontbench after saying she would cast her vote in line with her strongly remain-leaning Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in north London.

Lewis, who is understood to have seriously considered rebelling against the whip, issued a statement several hours after the meeting saying he was prepared to vote for the bill. “I have been clear throughout that I respect the result of the referendum and will, therefore, join my colleagues in voting for the bill on its second reading,” Lewis said.

“However, Theresa May does not have a mandate to dictate the terms of Brexit without listening to the British people. The whole country should be involved in determining our shared future, which is why Labour has fought for the British people to have a say, through parliament. Labour will seek to amend the bill to prevent the government using Brexit to trash our rights, public services, jobs and living standards while cutting taxes for the wealthiest.”

Other shadow cabinet ministers including Jo Stevens, Rachael Maskell and Cat Smith reportedly argued against a three-line whip, but one source stressed that did not necessarily mean they would rebel or resign.

Smith later tweeted that she would be voting with the whip next week on the bill.

@joepike @jeremycorbyn @GranadaReports that won't be an issue, I'll be voting with the whip at second reading next week. — Cat Smith (@CatSmithMP) January 26, 2017

The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, a vocal critic of leaving the EU, as well as the shadow work and pensions minister, Debbie Abrahams, and the shadow diverse communities minister, Dawn Butler, are all believed to be willing to vote in favour of the article 50 bill.

Corbyn said: “It will be a clear decision that we want all of our MPs to support the article 50 vote when it comes up next week. It’s clearly a three-line whip.”

But Corbyn acknowledged that this would be difficult for some MPs. “I fully understand the pressures and issues that members are under, those who represent leave constituencies and those who represent remain constituencies. Labour is in the almost unique position of having MPs representing constituencies in both directions, and very strongly in both directions,” he said.

“I say to everyone, unite around the important issues of jobs, economy, security, rights, justice, those issues, and we will frame that relationship with Europe in the future, outside Europe but in concert with friends, whether those countries are in the EU or outside the EU. That’s the message we’re putting out. And I’m asking all of our MPs not to block article 50 but to make sure it goes through next week.”

The government said on Thursday it would allow the House of Commons five days to debate the bill triggering article 50, prompting some MPs to complain this was not sufficient time to scrutinise the legislation.

David Lidington, the leader of the Commons, told MPs that the second reading debate would take place over two days, on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The key second reading vote will be on Wednesday. Parliament will sit until midnight on the Tuesday, Lidington said.

Rebels estimated that about 60 Labour MPs could be prepared to defy any party order to vote in favour of article 50 including frontbenchers, though it is unclear if they would be forced to resign in order to do so.

Catherine West, the shadow foreign minister who defeated the Liberal Democrats to win her Hornsey and Wood Green seat in 2015, has said she will vote in line with her constituents, who voted 81.5% to remain. “The best way I can represent my constituents, and indeed protect our national interest, is to vote against invoking article 50,” she said in a statement earlier this week.

Other backbenchers including Owen Smith, Louise Ellman, Ben Bradshaw, David Lammy and Daniel Zeichner have said they would not back a Brexit bill.

On Thursday afternoon, the Green party MP Caroline Lucas, backed by Labour’s Geraint Davies, said she would table an amendment to block the article 50 bill from any second reading.

“I urge Labour MPs to join me in voting against the premature triggering of article 50,” Lucas said. “Many of the things that progressive politicians hold dear are at risk. If we’re serious about opposing an extreme Brexit then we can’t just wave through article 50. Indeed the Labour party leadership should be giving MPs the chance to make their own principled choice on one of the most important decisions of the UK’s recent history.”

The amendment, which is also backed by Scottish National party and Social Democratic and Labour party MPs, says the article 50 bill should fail because it does not guarantee membership of the single market or customs union, the rights of EU citizens or environmental protection and “otherwise fails to adequately address the immense constitutional implications of withdrawal from the EU, including the future of the Good Friday agreement … fails to guarantee a ratification referendum on any withdrawal agreements negotiated with the other EU member states”.