Downing Street pulls Brexit stage two extension vote offer to avoid no-deal
Former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke says the Tory message is "we'll be out on WTO terms by 2021".
Tuesday 5 November 2019 16:54, UK
Downing Street has pulled an offer to let MPs vote on a fresh Brexit delay in the next stage of negotiations to stop a no-deal divorce at the end of 2020.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman confirmed on Tuesday the government was going back on the pledge it made in late October.
That was offered by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland in a last-ditch bid to win support for the Brexit deal to allay concerns about talks on the future relationship.
Some MPs said they would not support the withdrawal agreement because under its terms July 2020 is the deadline for asking for any extension of the transition period, which runs out on 1 January 2021.
If no trade deal has been reached with the EU by then, they said Britain could still realistically fall into a "no-deal" relationship with Brussels.
In a last-ditch bid to ensure Brexit still happened on 31 October, Mr Buckland vowed to give parliament a "say on the merits of an extension of the implementation period".
He added "the government will abide by that" in an exchange with David Gauke, his predecessor and an MP kicked out of the Conservatives for trying to avoid no-deal.
"That is an example of representative democracy working well," Mr Buckland added.
"One of the things that we British pride ourselves on is our ability to compromise, to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect each other and to come to a reasonable compromise."
But Mr Johnson's spokesman confirmed the day before parliament shuts down before the 12 December general election no such vote would go ahead.
He said it was because the government was adamant it will have reached a trade deal by then.
"There will be a trade deal by the end of 2020," he added.
Mr Gauke said he had been made a "clear promise".
"Looks like the Conservative message is: 'We'll be out on WTO [World Trade Organisation] terms by 2021'. I have to say - that is reckless."
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Nick Boles, another Tory-turned-independent MP, said Mr Johnson pulled his Brexit deal bill from parliament because Downing Street was worried an amendment making the request for an extension automatic would pass.
Mr Johnson has said he will ensure Brexit happens by 31 January if he wins a majority in the upcoming election.