THERESA May was left humiliated last night after MPs overwhelmingly rejected her Brexit deal.
In what was the worst defeat for any government in the history of the UK’s time as a democracy, the Prime Minister saw her agreement defeated by 432 votes to 202.
The margin of 230 was far bigger than even May’s fiercest critics had predicted.
Minutes after the result was announced in the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn told MPs he, as leader of the official opposition, had tabled a motion of no confidence in the government.
That motion, supported by SNP leader Ian Blackford, LibDem chief Vince Cable, Green party’s Caroline Lucas, and Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts, will be debated in the Commons today, with MPs voting at around 7pm.
Under the Fixed Terms Parliament Act, if it receives the support of more than 50% of MPs it’ll force an early General Election.
However, last night Northern Ireland’s DUP who prop up the government, and the European Research Group of Brexiteer Tory MPs who tried to kick May out of Number 10 in December, both said they would back the Prime Minister.
That means the no confidence motion is unlikely to succeed, but it will clear the way for Labour to move on to the next step in their Brexit strategy, which includes backing a second EU referendum.
That could swing the numbers in the Commons, and increases the likelihood of a so-called People’s Vote.
And with just 72 days until Brexit, the defeat also makes it near certain that Britain will have to ask to extend the Article 50 negotiation period.
There were shouts of “resign” from the opposition benches, as May took to the despatch box to make a statement.
May said while it was clear MPs did not support her deal, there was no indication on what MPs did support.
She said she would consult with Tory colleagues, the DUP and “senior parliamentarians from across the House to identify what would be required to secure the backing of the House”.
“The Government will approach these meetings in a constructive spirit, but given the urgent need to make progress, we must focus on ideas that are genuinely negotiable and have sufficient support,” she added.
If those meetings “yield” ideas, May said the government will then explore them with the European Union.”
The Prime Minister also warned MPs against holding another referendum: “Every day that passes without this issue being resolved means more uncertainty, more bitterness and more rancour.
“The Government has heard what the House has said tonight, but I ask members on all sides of the House to listen to the British people who want this issue settled and to work with the Government to do just that.”
Corbyn said: “I hear the words of the Prime Minister but the actions of her Government in these past two years speak equally clearly.
“She is only attempting to reach out now to try to keep her failed deal alive after it has been so roundly rejected by Parliament on behalf of the people of this country”.
He added: “She cannot seriously believe that after two years of failure, she is capable of negotiating a good deal for the people of this country. On the most important issue facing us, this Government has lost the confidence of this House and this country.”
Blackford told May that the “the clock is ticking” on Brexit.
“The Government needs to secure the safety of all our nations, and should immediately postpone the Article 50 process, and should immediately have talks with all the leaders of the opposition parties, let’s work together in all our interests,” he said.
The SNP MP added: “There is no support for this deal. It’s mustn’t come back again. The obvious thing to do is to suspend Article 50 and put this to the people in a People’s vote. “
Brexit backing former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, seen as a likely candidate to replace May, said the defeat gave the Prime Minister a “massive mandate” to go back to Brussels and renegotiate. He insisted that no-deal was “not at all” off the table.
“We should not only be keeping the good bits of the deal, getting rid of the backstop, but we should also be actively preparing for no-deal with ever more enthusiasm.”
The last time a government was defeated on a confidence motion was in 1979.
The Labour government led by Jim Callaghan lost the opposition motion on March 28 1979 by just one vote, 311-310.
Callaghan called a general election and was defeated by the Tories.
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