Brexit news latest: What you need to know as the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to Commons for crunch votes

Theresa May is facing one of the toughest weeks of her premiership as the EU Withdrawal Bill returns to Commons
PA
Ella Wills12 June 2018
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A series of 15 amendments made by the House of Lords to the Government's Brexit bill will be put before MPs on Tuesday.

Mrs May could see a revolt by pro-EU Tory MPs determined to keep Lords' amendments in the legislation. By 10am, her Justice Minister Dr Phillip Lee had already quit so he could rebel against the Government.

However, the Prime Minister has warned Tory remainers that if they defy her over the changes, it will undermine the UK's position in negotiations with Brussels.

In what is set to be a tense two days, this week's votes could reveal how vulnerable the Government is to being defeated at a later date.

These are some of the key questions being asked about this week's votes.

Theresa May could see a revolt by Tory remainers on key legislation
AFP/Getty Images

What is the purpose of this Bill?

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill revokes the 1972 Act which took the UK into the European Economic Area, a free trade area between 28 countries.

The bill also transposes all relevant EU law into British statute so there are no holes in the law book at the point of Brexit.

What happened to the Bill in the House of Lords?

Peers defeated the Government on 15 issues, introducing amendments on issues ranging from future UK membership of the customs union and European Economic Area (EEA) to whether MPs should get a "meaningful vote" on the final Brexit deal.

The House of Lords introduced 15 amendments to the bill 
PA Archive/PA Images

What was the Government's response?

The Government has accepted one of the Lords amendments, allowing the UK to continue to co-operate with EU agencies, which it says is already its policy.

It opposes the other 14 and will be seeking to overturn them, though in some cases it is offering a compromise solution.

What are the crunch votes and when will they happen?

Issues most likely to provoke rebellions include the"meaningful vote" and the question of whether the date of Brexit should be written into law - both due for votes on Tuesday afternoon - as well as whether the UK should stay in the customs union or EEA, which should come early on Wednesday evening.

Is the Government guaranteed to get what it wants?

Far from it. Even with the support of 10 Democratic Unionist Party MPs, Mrs May has a working majority of just 13 in the Commons, which means she can be defeated by a rebellion of as few as seven Tory backbenchers.

What is the "meaningful vote" about?

The Government has promised MPs a vote on the final Brexit deal, but initially said it would be a simple "take it or leave it" choice.

The House of Lords amended the Bill so that if MPs reject the deal, they can direct ministers to go back and renegotiate.

The Government's compromise is that a minister would come to the House within 28 days of a deal being rejected to tell MPs what will happen next.

This vote is on a knife-edge, with the Opposition and Tory rebels hopeful of victory.

How about the Customs Union?

The Lords passed an amendment stating that Brexit cannot go ahead until a minister has presented a report setting out what the UK has done to try to negotiate continued CU membership.

Although these terms would not necessarily keep the UK in the customs union, defeat in the Commons would be politically explosive, as it would show Mrs May has no majority for one of her key "red lines" she set out in her 2016 Tory conference speech.

And the EEA vote?

The Lords amendment would require ministers to prioritise Norway-style membership of the EEA, which would again breach Mrs May's red lines and be seen by Leave backers as "Brexit in name only".

There is little chance of Government defeat on this issue, as Jeremy Corbyn has ordered his MPs to abstain and back an alternative Labour amendment requiring access to a European "internal market".

What happens next?

The Bill will return to the Lords on June 18, kicking off a process of "Parliamentary ping-pong" which sees it bounce from House to House until agreement is reached.

Is it all over once this Bill has passed?

No. There will be plenty more chances for upsets as separate Bills on customs and trade come before MPs next month, followed by legislation on future immigration rules later in the year and a Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill once the final Brexit deal is struck.

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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