The amendments chosen by Speaker John Bercow and how MPs voted on each one

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

MPs have voted on a series of amendments to Theresa May’s statement on the defeat of her Brexit bill.

Below are the amendments that were voted upon, as selected by Speaker John Bercow. This is the order in which they were taken:

A: Labour

O: the SNP

G: Dominic Grieve

B: Yvette Cooper

J: Rachel Reeves

I: Caroline Spelman

N: Graham Brady

A. Official Labour amendment

Amendment defeated by 327 votes to 296, a majority of 31.

Tabled by Jeremy Corbyn and backed by a series of frontbenchers, this pushes the party policy of avoiding no deal and instead seeking a form of customs union.

B. The Yvette Cooper/extend article 50 amendment

Amendment defeated by 321 votes to 298, a majority of 23.

One of the most closely scrutinised amendments, and backed by more than 70 MPs, this would guarantee parliamentary time for a private members’ bill drafted by Cooper that would extend article 50 to the end of 2019 if Theresa May failed to secure a deal by late February. While it seems likely to win official Labour backing, and from some Tories, it could be scuppered by doubts among Labour MPs in leave-voting areas. The government will whip MPs against backing it.

G. Dominic Grieve amendment

Amendment defeated by 321 votes to 301, a majority of 20.

This idea by the former attorney general would allow parliament to take control in creating a series of indicative votes by decreeing that a motion put forward by a minority of 300 MPs from at least five parties – including 10 Tory MPs – would be debated as the first item for MPs in the Commons the next day.

I. Spelman no-deal amendment

Amendment passed by 318 votes to 310, a majority of eight.

Tabled by the longstanding Tory MP and former environment minister Caroline Spelman, with the backing of more than 115 MPs from various parties, this states that the UK will not leave the EU without a deal. It is only advisory and has no legislative force.

J. Extending article 50

Amendment defeated by 322 votes to 290, a majority of 32.

Signed by a cross-party group of remain-minded MPs, led by Labour’s Rachel Reeves, this would seek a two-year extension of article 50 if there is not a deal in place by 26 February.

N. The Brady amendment

Amendment passed by 317 votes to 301, a majority of 16.

Its figurehead is Graham Brady, who as chair of the 1922 Committee is the voice of Tory backbenchers. Yet another attempt at making the backstop more palatable to Tory MPs, this says it should be “replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border”. Once again, this is something the EU has ruled out. The government has indicated that it will whip MPs to back the amendment, which if passed would allow May to go to Brussels with a clear sign from MPs of what they want, to get a deal through parliament.

O. SNP/Plaid Cymru amendment

Amendment defeated by 327 votes to 39, a majority of 288.

This notes that the Scottish and Welsh assemblies also “voted overwhelmingly to reject the prime minister’s deal”, calling for an extension of article 50 and no deal being removed as an option.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Theresa May. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Amendments not selected or withdrawn:

Amendments to the Labour amendment, and amendment C

These all called, in various ways, for a second EU referendum. Three amendments-to-the-amendment were tabled by Labour backbenchers, and two by the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems also tabled a separate amendment on the subject.

D. Main Lib Dem amendment

This would have created a committee of no more than 17 MPs based on representation in the Commons to lead on all Brexit matters in parliament.

E. Murrison backstop amendment

Tabled again by the Conservative backbencher Andrew Murrison, and backed by more than 30 other Tories, this would have decreed that the Irish backstop, if it came into force, would expire at the end of 2021 – something the EU has said it will not agree to. Withdrawn to improve the chances of support for Brady’s amendment.

F. Indicative votes amendment

This would have called for a series of non-binding indicative votes in parliament to determine the way forward. It was tabled by Hilary Benn, the Labour MP who chairs the Brexit select committee.

H. Citizens’ assembly amendment

Backed by a cross-party group of opposition MPs this would have created a 250-strong “citizens’ assembly”, a representative but randomly selected group, to devise possible ways to move forward on Brexit.

K, L, M. John Baron backstop amendments

These said that MPs would not back a withdrawal agreement including a backstop with variations calling for it to be permitted only if it expires after six months or if it contains a right of unilateral UK withdrawal (M).

P. Indicative votes

Tabled by the Brexit-backing former Labour MP Frank Field but supported by remainers including Ken Clarke, this called for non-binding MPs’ votes on areas including the backstop, various trade deals, and another referendum.

Q. Stop Brexit

Put forward by two SNP MPs, Angus Brendan MacNeil and Pete Wishart, this called for article 50 to be revoked.