MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brexit plan's five-day debate takes off; Westminster shuts off “no-deal option”

The PM cancelled the original vote on 11 December as opposition from Tory MPs and Labour pointed to a heavy defeat

MPs will begin debating Theresa May's Brexit plan again on Wednesday, nearly a month after she postponed the crunch Commons vote on her agreement. There will be five days of discussion on the terms of the UK's withdrawal and future relations with the EU ahead of an expected vote next Tuesday.

The PM cancelled the original vote on 11 December as opposition from Tory MPs and Labour pointed to a heavy defeat. She has since sought extra written assurances from the European leaders.

On the eve of Wednesday's debate, the government suffered an embarrassing defeat when 20 Tory MPs joined forces with Labour to signal their opposition to a no-deal Brexit.
A host of former ministers, including Michael Fallon, Justine Greening and Sir Oliver Letwin, voted to amend the finance bill to restrict the ability of the Treasury to make tax changes in the event of a no deal - and threatened to target other legislation in the coming months.

The UK Parliament passed legislation last year stating that the UK would leave the European Union on 29 March - two years after negotiations on its exit began.

The withdrawal agreement finalized in November includes guarantees over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and British expats on the continent, the terms of the UK's £39bn “divorce” settlement and a proposed transition period lasting until the end of 2020.

These and other legally-binding measures will not come into force unless MPs approve the agreement and an accompanying declaration on future trade and security relations
Before last month's vote was pulled, scores of Conservative MPs voiced their opposition to the plan and few have publicly given any signal they have changed their mind since then.

Wednesday's session, due to begin after prime minister's questions at about 13.00 BST, will be opened by Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay.

If MPs approve the procedural business motion, the debate will continue on Thursday, Friday and Monday before concluding on Tuesday, when the PM is expected to address MPs before the vote.