
Prime Minister Theresa May has delayed the next 'meaningful vote' on Brexit by two weeks and said that it will be held by March 12.

The PM made the announcement as she landed in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, for an EU conference with the Arab League starting today.

It is thought that the choice of date could increase her chances of getting her deal through Parliament because a vote to delay Brexit is also scheduled for March 12.

Hardline Brexiteers led by Jacob Rees-Mogg would have to decide whether to shoot down the plan in the knowledge that - were they to vote against the PM and defeat the government - the very next vote on the ballot paper might lead to Brexit being postponed.

Mrs May also resisted calls to sack three Cabinet members who openly argued in the Daily Mail - in defiance of the government's position - that Article 50 should be extended and the UK's EU departure date delayed.

She insisted Cabinet collective responsibility had not broken down after pro-EU ministers Amber Rubb, David Gauke and Greg Clark signalled they could support backbench moves to delay withdrawal in order to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

Moments before she touched down in Egypt (pictured) Mrs May told reporters there would be no 'meaningful vote' this coming week

Mrs May getting off the plane in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, in advance of a conference with the Arab League starting today

'The writing is on the wall': Business leaders dismayed at growing prospect of No Deal Business leaders reacted with dismay to the latest Brexit delay, with one saying there was now 'little realistic chance' of a deal being agreed by March 29. Edwin Morgan, interim director general of the Institute of Directors, said: 'With today's announcement, it's clear the writing is on the wall. 'There appears to be little realistic chance of a deal being agreed and the necessary legislation getting through by 29 March. 'We sincerely hope this is the last and final date change.' Dr Adam Marshall, director general at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'Another day, another delay. 'The Government's choices mean extending business uncertainty to the last possible minute, giving firms little chance to plan with confidence for any changes that lie ahead.' Josh Hardie, CBI deputy director general, said: 'This is the latest signal to businesses that no-deal is hurtling closer. It must be averted. 'Every day without a deal means less investment and fewer jobs created. 'That's the cost of running down the clock, and it's irresponsible to treat that as a price worth paying.' Advertisement

The PM said that because 'positive' talks were ongoing with the EU, a meaningful vote would not be held this week.

But the delay could also be seen as a tactical move to increase the Prime Minister's chances of passing her deal.

An amendment moved by two former Cabinet ministers, Tory Oliver Letwin and Labour's Yvette Cooper, is also scheduled for March 12, on legislation to delay Brexit.

Should the two votes take place on the same day which now looks likely, MPs would be voting on the Prime Minister's deal in the knowledge that a 'no' vote could be followed by a vote instructing Mrs May to return to Brussels and ask for more time.

That might apply pressure on the ERG-group of hardline Brexiteers to support her plan despite their serious misgivings, for fear of seeing their Brexit dream delayed or taken from them at the final moment.

The March 12 deadline also leaves open the possibility that the Chancellor's Spring Statement, scheduled for the following day, could be converted into an emergency budget to prepare the country for No Deal in the event of a defeat for the government.

Speaking on her way to an EU-League of Arab States summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, the Prime Minister said: 'I was in Brussels last week. Ministers were in Brussels last week.

'My team will be back in Brussels again this coming week. They will be returning to Brussels on Tuesday.

'As a result of that we won't bring a meaningful vote to Parliament this week. But we will ensure that that happens by March 12.

'But it is still within our grasp to leave the European Union with a deal on March 29.'

Mrs May met briefly with European Council President Donald Tusk for talks this afternoon that 'focused on practicalities', according to an EU source.

The source stated that Mr Tusk 'recalled the need for EU27 to have clarity that a proposal for the way forward can command a majority in the UK, before the issue is tackled by the European Council.'

The 30 minute meeting was conducted without tensions, and the PM updated Mr Tusk on the work and timeline to find a way forward on Brexit, particularly regarding plans in relation to the meaningful vote, the source said.

Talks are due to resume in Brussels on Tuesday in an attempt to resolve the impasse over the backstop, with the Government seeking legally binding assurances it will not leave Britain tied to EU rules indefinitely.

The Prime Minister arrived in Egypt for a summit between the EU and the League of Arab States

Mrs May said: 'My team will be back in Brussels again this coming week. They will be returning to Brussels on Tuesday. 'As a result of that we won't bring a meaningful vote to Parliament this week'

Mrs May met briefly with European Council President Donald Tusk for talks this afternoon. She is holding a number of meetings with European leaders on the fringes of the summit

Three days ago Donald Tusk's counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission, said he had 'Brexit fatigue'. The body language and facial expressions of Mrs May and Mr Tusk, above, suggest the condition might be catching

The two leaders met as Mrs May postponed her meaningful vote by two weeks, drawing ire from critics at home

Prime Minister Theresa May is hugged by the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov as she attends the EU-League of Arab States Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Mrs May ( pictured centre) listens as Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, second left, speaks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, second right, during a meeting of leaders at the EU-Arab summit

Prime Minister Theresa May (centre) in a group photo with leaders of the EU-League of Arab States Summit today

Mrs May talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz as EU and Arab league leaders attend a group photo during the first Arab-European Summit which took place today

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is also attending the summit. Mrs May was using Mrs May is using her attendance at the summit to hold a series of one-to-one meetings with key EU figures, including European Council president Donald Tusk who she met on Sunday

Theresa May and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri deep in discussion during the EU-Arab League Summit in Sharm El Sheikh

Labour MP Yvette Cooper and shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Kier Starmer issued strong rebukes following the announcement

Cabinet ministers Business Secretary Greg Clark, Works and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and Justice Secretary David Gauke have argued for an extension to Article 50

Brexit: What happens next? Theresa May has admitted she will not get a Brexit deal in time to put it to Parliament for a 'meaningful vote' this week. What happens now? The Prime Minister has promised MPs will be given a meaningful vote on a final deal by March 12 at the latest. She is meeting key EU figures at the EU-League of Arab States summit in Sharm el Sheikh on Monday, while talks resume in Brussels on Tuesday on the Northern Ireland backstop. There will also be another series of Commons votes on Wednesday. So what are those votes about? The Government will table what is expected to be a 'neutral' motion and MPs will have a chance to put down amendments which the House can then vote on - assuming they are selected for debate by Speaker John Bercow. What is likely to come up? The key amendment is expected to be a cross-party move, drawn up by Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin, to effectively block a no-deal Brexit. It is designed to enable Parliament to demand the Government seeks an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process, delaying Britain's departure from the EU if there is no deal by mid March. Will it be passed? A similar amendment was defeated last month, despite official backing from the Labour Party, but many at Westminster think it could be different this time. As the clock counts down to Brexit day on March 29, more Tories opposed to a no-deal break could be tempted to break ranks and support it. Three Cabinet ministers, Amber Rudd, Greg Clark and David Gauke, have even hinted they could vote for it, and there are reports that up to 20 ministers could be prepared to resign - or risk the sack - in order to back it. What does the Government say? Ministers insist it would be a 'mistake' for MPs to support the amendment as it effectively takes control of the Brexit process out of the hands of the Government and passes to Parliament with potentially unforeseen consequences. Some MPs, however, suspect that privately Mrs May would be happy for it to pass as it would effectively kill off no-deal without her having to take on directly the Brexiteers of the Tory European Research Group (ERG). What happens if it does go through? Then we are in uncharted waters. The ERG would be furious, with accusations that Brexit had been betrayed, but apart from that, it is hard to predict. In the past a government might have been expected to resign after such a defeat, but the Fixed Term Parliaments Act means it could be hard for the opposition to force a general election as Labour have already discovered once. In those circumstances, it is still possible Mrs May could soldier on to stage her meaningful vote on March 12 - although whether she could do so with Tory support alone must be in doubt. Advertisement

The Prime Minister faced criticism from Labour's Brexit Secretary Kier Starmer and the party's author of the pending delaying vote, Yvette Cooper.

Commenting on the timing of the meaningful vote, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: 'This decision to further delay the meaningful vote is the height of irresponsibility and an admission of failure.

'Theresa May is recklessly running down the clock in a desperate attempt to force MPs to choose between her deal and no deal. Parliament cannot stand by and allow this to happen.'

And Ms Cooper tweeted: 'Still drifting. Still no progress. Nothing has changed. Getting ever closer to a chaotic No Deal. This is incredibly irresponsible when food prices, manufacturing jobs, medicine supplies & security are all at stake. Makes it even more important to support our Bill this week'

She added later: 'Utterly shambolic and irresponsible. Each time she promises a new date. Each time she delays. Each time we get closer to cliff edge. How are businesses, public services & families supposed to plan in this chaos? Why shd anyone believe these pledges when she keeps ripping them up?'

Asked how the Government would treat non-binding motions expected this week which call for the ruling out of no-deal, and which demand an extension of Article 50, Mrs May said: 'We don't know what amendments are going to be tabled. We don't know what amendments are going to be selected.

'You haven't even seen what motion the Government is going to put down – as I say, it won't be the meaningful vote.

'I will be making a statement to Parliament on Tuesday. And then, obviously, we'll be having the debate the next day.'

The PM said the Government was still in talks with the EU about the Northern Ireland backstop.

Mrs May said: 'We are still in that negotiation. We are still talking to the EU about various ways in which we can find a resolution to the issue that Parliament raised.'

Asked what she would do if she lost the meaningful vote, she told The Guardian: 'Why is it that people are always trying to look for the next thing after the next thing after the next thing?

'It is pointless, we should focus on what we are doing now, which is working to get a deal, and bring that deal to a meaningful vote – which I want to see passed by the House of Commons and leave on 29 March.'

The PM insisted collective Cabinet responsibility had not broken down after the intervention by Amber Rudd, Greg Clark and David Gauke.

'No,' she said, 'collective responsibility has not broken down.

'What we have seen around the Cabinet table, in the party, and in the country at large is strong views on the issue of Europe. That is not a surprise to anybody.

'We have around the Cabinet table a collective, not just responsibility, but desire, to actually ensure that we leave the European Union with a deal. That's what we're working for and that's what I'm working for.'

Asked if the three ministers should remain in Government, Mrs May said: 'What we see around the Cabinet table is strong views held on the issue of Europe.'

Mrs May said that extending Article 50 would not deal with the issues.

The PM said: 'Now, often people talk about the extension of Article 50 as if that will actually solve the issue. Of course it won't. It defers the point of decision. There comes a point where we need to make that decision.

'Extension of Article 50 doesn't solve the problem.

'There will always come a point where we have to decide whether we accept the deal that's been negotiated or not.

'And that will be a decision for every member of Parliament across the House.

'Every member of the Commons will have to face that decision when that point comes.

'The Government will be bringing back, working with the EU, and will want to put a deal to the House of Commons in a meaningful vote.'

Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: 'Theresa May is recklessly running down the clock in a desperate attempt to force MPs to choose between her deal and no-deal.

'Parliament cannot stand by and allow this to happen.'

Food prices could rocket under No Deal, Michael Gove acknowledges, as the British Retail Consortium warns cheese and beef could become 30 per cent more expensive overnight

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has accepted the price of staple foodstuffs could rocket in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Responding to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) which warned the price of cheddar cheese could leap 32 per cent, and beef by 29 per cent, Mr Gove said: 'It is one scenario but it is not the scenario we plan to go down.'

On the BBC this morning, Andrew Marr presented Mr Gove with the figures, which were reached after the BRC applied World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs to the prices of everyday foodstuffs.

Mr Gove (right) told Andrew Marr (left) that British politics was 'in a different realm' and said cabinet minister not respecting collective responsibility should keep their jobs

Asked: 'if there is no deal, will food prices in this country go up?', the environment secretary replied: 'I think there is a risk of that, yes.'

The BRC analysis shows beef could increase five to 29 per cent; tomatoes could go up in price between nine and 18 per cent; and cheddar cheese could rocket between six and 32 per cent.

Mr Gove responded to the figures saying: 'It is one scenario but it is not the scenario we plan to go down.

'One of the things we can do when we leave the European Union is we can set tariffs at a level we think if appropriate, both to protect the consumer but also to look after the most vulnerable and important sectors of food production at home.'

He said the number were based on 'high' tariffs applied by the EU to imports from outside its boarders, and said he 'didn't think' that scenario would unfold under the current government.

'It is a scenario using one particular model but this government is not going down that route and therefore the figures mentioned would not apply.

But he acknowledged the 'friction' that would follow no deal would impose additional costs on food production.

The planned Brexit withdrawal on 29 March comes when the UK imports a lot of fresh, out-of-season, produce – 90 per cent of lettuce, 80 per cent of tomatoes and 70 of soft fruits come from, or arrive via, Europe.

Increased tariffs, the devaluation of sterling and new regulatory checks would drive up the cost of fresh food and drink, which would be passed on to consumers, retail bodies warned.

Under WTO rules which would come into force under no deal, this would mean a 42 per cent tariff on imported cheddar, 46 per cent on mozzarella, 40 per cent on beef, 21 per cent on tomatoes and 15.5% on apples, the BRC said last year.

Mr Gove, who has said tariffs will be set tomorrow, and that the system would maintain 'as far as possible' price stability but also protect vulnerable areas of production.

The tariffs would be 'temporary' in the event of new deal and would be replaced by a new trading relationship, the leading Brexiteer said.

Mr Gove acknowledged the 'friction' of a no deal Brexit would increase the price of food

He also told Mr Marr it was 'vitally' important to achieve a Parliamentary deal which avoids both no Brexit and no deal.

And he defended cabinet colleagues including Amber Rudd, Geg Clark, and David Gauke, who argued publicly in The Daily Mail against Mrs May's stated position of not extending Article 50, saying they should not be sacked 'because they're good colleagues'.

He went on: 'You can look at politics through the prism of the 20th Century or you can recognise that we're in a different realm now.

'We're in a unique set of circumstances now, and one can apply the sort of 'virility' tests that were applied in the past, or we can make progress by being open t arguments to different parts of the party.

'And also remind everyone... that we have to honour that referendum agreement.'

Mr Gove said there was a 'solid majority' in the party and in Parliament for a deal, as long as elements of the Northern Irish backstop agreement were amended.

MPs are due to debate Brexit again next Wednesday and are expected to consider an amendment tabled by former Tory minister Sir Oliver Letwin and Labour's Yvette Cooper.

That would give Parliament the opportunity to delay Brexit and prevent a no-deal situation if there is no agreement with the EU by the middle of March.

Mr Gove refused to be drawn on whether members of the government should be expected to resign if they vote in favour of the Boles/Cooper amendment, saying only he would be doing everything in his power to encourage them to vote with the government.