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As it happenedended

Brexit news - live: Tory MP quits in disgust after Commons votes to reject every single suggested way forward

Follow our live coverage of the day’s political events

Benjamin Kentish
Political Correspondent
,Samuel Osborne,Adam Forrest,Chris Baynes,Tom Barnes
Monday 01 April 2019 16:40 BST
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Brexit: What happens next?

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MPs have rejected all alternative Brexit options put forward in indicative votes as one Tory MP quit seconds after results were announced claiming the party “refuses to compromise”.

The Commons turned down options to pursue a Common Market solution, a second referendum and the revocation of Article 50. A Customs Union proposed by Ken Clarke was rejected by just three votes.

Moments after the vote took place, Tory MP Nick Boles resigned the party whip claiming his colleagues “refuse to compromise”. His Common Market 2.0 proposal had been defeated 261 votes to 282, with 228 Conservatives voting against.

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Public splits between rival cabinet ministers had deepened earlier in the day ahead of the key votes.

Tory chief whip Julian Smith said the government should have accepted earlier that it would “inevitably” need to settle on a softer Brexit, but Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said such an outcome would be “incredibly problematic”.

Mr Smith also hit out at his cabinet colleagues, saying they were the “worst example of ill-discipline in cabinet in British political history”.

The Independent Group spokesperson Chuka Umunna has written a piece for us arguing that even ERG MPs have begun to accept we are heading for a long delay on Brexit.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 18:51

Members could be heard shouting “enough!” as Labour MP Peter Kyle tried to make one last pun about the naked protesters.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 18:59

SNP MP Joanna Cherry has explained her slightly complicated motion, one of the four the Commons will be voting on tonight.

She said she was “trying to ensure that the prime minister doesn’t go naked into the conference chamber” at the EU Council on 10 April.

Putting the nude protest-related puns aside, she said it “would mandate the government to ask first of all for an extension of the Article 50 period and if the EU didn’t agree to that, the UK government would require to table a motion immediately asking this House to approve no deal.”

Assuming the House did not approve no deal, Cherry added: “The UK government would then be mandated to revoke Article 50 before we exit the EU with no deal.”

She said: “I appeal to anyone who cares about the people who live in these islands and the economy of these islands to prevent a no deal from happening.”

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 19:09

More than 2,000 people have complained to Ofcom about remarks made by Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow on the pro-Brexit rally. He has since apologised for saying he had “never seen so many white people in one place”.

Here’s Chris Baynes with more on what Ofcom might do next.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 19:19

Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer has said the party will whip to back three alternatives tonight: a customs union, a confirmatory referendum and the single market option dubbed “Common Market 2.0”.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 19:31

Theresa May has arranged for a mammoth five-hour cabinet session on Tuesday. The first of two long meetings, which will take place between 9am and noon will be a “political cabinet”, where top ministers discuss political strategy and the Brexit mess without any civil servants listening in.

Here’s our Political Editor Joe Watts with all the details.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 19:44

There’s speculation this evening that the Lib Dems will not back the single market option tonight – the so-called “Common Market 2.0”. As our Europe Correspondent Jon Stone suggests, it won’t endear them to Remainers willing to live with a softer Brexit.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 19:52

Not a huge surprise, but the DUP’s Sammy Wilson has said the party will not back any of the Brexit alternatives tonight.

Adam Forrest1 April 2019 19:57

The indicative votes debate has now concluded. Sitting in Commons have been suspended for half an hour as MPs cast their votes on four proposed alternatives to Theresa May's Brexit deal.

We're expecting the results to be announced after 10pm.

Chris Baynes1 April 2019 20:11

Courtesy of the Labour whips Twitter account, here's a look at the voting sheet that MPs have been handed:

Chris Baynes1 April 2019 20:14

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