Ministers believe Theresa May should not offer up a vote on her plan if it is not likely to pass

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The government has all but conceded it will lose control of parliament this week and MPs will hold a series of votes on different Brexit options, with ministers believing it would be ultimately pointless for Theresa May to offer the government’s own plan.

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It comes as May’s hopes that she still can force through her withdrawal deal faded after a phone call with Arlene Foster, in which the Democratic Unionist party leader rejected a personal plea for support.

In a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn later on Monday, the Labour leader also rejected suggestions that the prime minister’s exit deal could be separated from the future relationship.

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A Labour spokesman said the pair had a “frank and comprehensive exchange of views” and Corbyn suggested there was no basis to bring back her deal to parliament.

“The Labour leader did not accept the prime minister’s suggestion that the withdrawal agreement could be separated from the political declaration,” the spokesman said.

It is understood that May suggested in her hour-long meeting with Corbyn that the government would not be bound by the decision of parliament in any indicative votes.

The government will whip Conservative MPs against an amendment to a motion on Monday that would give MPs control over the parliamentary order paper on Wednesday, to pave the way for votes on Brexit options in parliament.

May’s de facto deputy, David Lidington, who will open the debate, had been in intense discussions with the leaders of the group of MPs who are pushing the motion, including the Tory MP Oliver Letwin and Labour’s Hilary Benn and Stephen Kinnock.

However, government sources suggested they had now conceded that May could not offer her own version of indicative votes and MPs were determined to press ahead with their plan regardless.

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Downing Street said May told a cabinet meeting on Monday morning she would table a new meaningful vote only if the government felt certain of the numbers. In a telephone call straight after the meeting, Foster said she would not change her party’s position. “The position remains unchanged,” a source said.

May’s spokesman said there was a sense of “determination” at the meeting and the prime minister’s future was not raised by any cabinet minister.

One cabinet source said Jeremy Hunt had wanted to delay the meaningful vote until close to 12 April in order to pressure Labour MPs into supporting the deal for fear of leaving without an agreement, but that was not backed by those cabinet ministers who want to take no deal off the table.

Several cabinet members also raised concerns about indicative votes being held by the government over concerns that they would cause chaos and lead to a general election.

Stephen Barclay, the Brexit secretary, is understood to have been the main voice warning of the risk of a general election if parliament seizes control of Brexit from the government, saying there was a need to honour the 2017 election manifesto.

Monday’s key amendment has been tabled by Letwin and Benn, the Labour chair of the Brexit select committee, which would set aside Wednesday for MPs to take control of House of Commons business in order to hold the series of votes on different Brexit outcomes.

May’s spokesman said there were concerns about the constitutional implications of the amendment.

“The prime minister has previously said that tying the government’s hands in this way by seeking to commandeer the order paper would have far-reaching implications for the way in which the UK is governed and the balance of powers and responsibilities in our democratic institutions,” the spokesman said.

Depending on the outcome of talks and votes on Monday, the prime minister still could table a meaningful vote for Tuesday via a late-night emergency business motion, shortly after MPs have voted on Monday night.