Tory MPs stage first Article 50 rebellion despite Theresa May's 'climbdown' over Brexit-Dan Bloom

Seven of Theresa May's MPs defied her to try getting Parliament a "meaningful" vote in 2019 - but she easily survived and won

Tory MPs staged their first Article 50 rebellion tonight as they rejected a government 'climbdown' over Brexit.
Seven of Theresa May's MPs voted against her to try and get Parliament a "meaningful" vote on her final deal with the EU.
They were Heidi Allen, Ken Clarke, Bob Neill, Claire Perry, Antoinette Sandbach, Anna Soubry and Andrew Tyrie.
Others including George Osborne and arch-Remainer Nicky Morgan sat the vote out - with Ms Morgan spotted gesturing dramatically with Tory whips.
But it was not nearly enough to stop the Prime Minister blocking the bid, by a margin of 33 MPs - including six Labour rebels who defied Jeremy Corbyn.

Heated debate between Nicky Morgan (who abstained) and the lurking Chief Whip as vote called: pic.twitter.com/f4LPFGuYDl

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) February 7, 2017

Ministers had offered a supposed climbdown by saying MPs would vote before Britain's final Brexit deal "concludes" in 2019.
Yet it fell apart when government said it would leave with no deal anyway - not renegotiate - if it gets rejected by MPs.

Labour MP Chris Leslie complained the vote "feels quite hollow" while colleague Pat McFadden said it was "holding a gun to Parliament's head".
Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas fumed: "The vote isn’t a concession, it’s an ultimatum."
Mr Leslie proposed an amendment that would have stopped a new UK-EU relationship being signed off until it is approved by both the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Instead the government proposed a non-binding vote.

Theresa May has offered a climbdown to MPs - but not everyone accepted it (Photo: REUTERS)

Mr Leslie forced his amendment to a vote tonight, but it failed by 326 votes to 293.
It was the first time more than one Tory MP has voted against the government on the so-called 'Brexit Bill', which gives Theresa May permission to pull two-year EU exit trigger Article 50.

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However, Labour Brexiteers Frank Field, Ronnie Campbell, Gisela Stuart, Kate Hoey, Kelvin Hopkins and Graham Stringer all voted with the government and backed the amendment.
Mrs May was forced to draw up the Bill after defeat in the Supreme Court.
So far she has defeated every attempt to amend the Bill formally.
Brexit Minister David Jones made the apparent concession on a final vote as today's seven-hour debate opened.

Tory Remainer Anna Soubry had warned she may have to rebel against the government (Photo: Adam Gerrard/Daily Mirror)

But he admitted that if MPs reject what's on the table, Britain will leave with "no deal" - instead of going back and renegotiating it.
He refused to put his promise in writing with a formal amendment.
And Downing Street later insisted today's announcement had simply set out "clarity around the timing of the vote".
Mr Jones said: "The government will bring forward a motion on the final agreement to be approved by both houses of Parliament before it is concluded.

Despite questions over the detail, Keir Starmer welcomed the "huge concession"

"We expect and intend that this will happen before the European Parliament debates and votes on the final agreement."
But he admitted: "If there were no agreement at all... then ultimately it would be falling back upon World Trade Organisation arrangements."
Ex- SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "It really is important, if the concession is as significant as the minister is leading us to believe, that it comes forward as an amendment."
Another MP muttered: “Not on a fag packet”.
Despite questions over the detail, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer initially welcomed the "huge and very important concession".
MPs are spending three tense days debating the so-called Brexit Bill, which gives Theresa May authority to trigger Article 50.
The Bill is expected to pass the Commons with Labour backing tomorrow night.

Culled from Mirror