More than a dozen Labour MPs representing leave-voting constituencies defied Jeremy Corbyn’s three-line whip to oppose the EU withdrawal bill, giving Theresa May a larger than expected majority for the second reading of her legislation.

Around 14 Labour MPs were absent from the crucial vote, while seven of the party’s long-standing pro-Brexit MPs voted with the government in favour of the bill.

The government secured a victory of 326 to 290, meaning an effective “Brexit majority” of 36 for the bill’s second reading.

Caroline Flint, the former Europe minister, was the most high-profile Labour MP to abstain deliberately, but she was joined by a string of former remain-supporting colleagues representing northern and Midlands seats.

These include two former ministers, Ian Austin and John Spellar, whose constituencies both backed leaving the EU. Yvonne Fovargue, Kevin Barron, Helen Jones and Kevan Jones also did not vote.

The MPs voted against the programme motion, which set out the timing of the Commons debates, but were absent from the vote on the second reading, which implies the abstentions were deliberate.



Barron, MP for Rother Valley in Yorkshire, confirmed he abstained deliberately as a “vote against would be a contradiction of the promises I was elected on only a few months ago”.

The pro-Brexit MPs were Dennis Skinner, Kate Hoey, Graham Stringer, Ronnie Campbell, Kelvin Hopkins, Frank Field and John Mann.

A number of Labour MPs were absent from all the voting for unknown reasons including Derek Twigg, Gerard Killen and Madeleine Moon. David Crausby and David Hanson did not vote because they will be chairing some of the EU withdrawal bill committee.

Anna Turley, the Redcar MP, was recovering from an operation.

Only one Conservative MP, the veteran pro-European Ken Clarke, appears to have abstained deliberately and no Tories voted with the opposition.

Four other Tories were absent. These were Johnny Mercer, who appears to have been completing a charity event, Nick Boles, who has been ill and was paired with an absent Labour MP because the vote was late, and David Amess and Gary Streeter, who did not vote because they will be chairing proceedings in the EU withdrawal bill committee.