May to u-turn on Brexit date to avoid further humiliation

Little over a month ago, Theresa May defiantly announced she was setting the date of Brexit “in black and white” on the front of her EU Withdrawal Bill. Now she is expected to cave into pressure from Tory “mutineers” by agreeing to an artful compromise which allows the date to be shifted.

Enshrining March 29, 2019 in law made little sense to begin with. Fixing the date meant there was no flexibility if the government needed to extend Article 50 talks, even for a little to avoid the UK plunging off an economic cliff edge.

May is expected to flip-flop to avoid another defeat at the hands of the so-called Tory mutineers who humiliated her earlier this week when they forced her to concede that parliament would have a “meaningful vote” on any final deal rather than just rubber-stamp it. She is expected to back an amendment from former Tory minister Oliver Letwin, which proposes that the government can change the Brexit date in UK law to bring it into line with any different Brexit date it agrees with the EU. (See Amendment 400)

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Fixing the date was always little more than a sop to Tory Brexiters, announced as the prime minister was preparing to make big concessions to secure her Brexit deal with Brussels. Even May and her ministers struggled to explain the practical reasons for doing it. Announcing the government’s amendment on November 9, David Davis explained this “pragmatic approach” was to “remove any confusion or concern about what ‘exit day’ means”.

May followed this up with a column in the Telegraph. The amendment, she said, was to ensure “no-one doubt our determination or question our resolve”, and to stop any MPs tempted to hijack her Bill and “try to block the democratic wishes of the British people”.

It’s now painfully obvious May’s government is being pulled hither and thither by the Brextremist and pro-European wings of her party. On this occasion it appears the prime minister has been bailed out by Letwin, who has devised a compromise acceptable to both sides. Hard Brexiter Bernard Jenkin has put his name to the amendment. Dominic Grieve, who led the “mutineers” in the “meaningful vote” amendment earlier this week, is also satisfied.

Hopefully, the prime minister has learnt her lesson – and now understands that taking back control means parliament is sovereign not that she can do whatever she wishes.

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Edited by Hugo Dixon