Tonight’s indicative votes in Parliament

Today Members of Parliament have debated and undertaken ‘indicative votes’ to finally express a view on a variety of Brexit options after months of the Prime Minister claiming it was either her “deal” or no deal.

It follows the ‘Letwin’ amendment named after the Conservative MP, which was agreed on Monday 25 March, which specified that the House of Commons would be able to control today’s order paper and facilitate a process of ‘indicative votes’ to break the Brexit deadlock.

MPs were asked to approve or reject a number of amendments, which were selected at the discretion of the Speaker. The amendments that received the most support tonight will be debated on 1 April.

It has been claimed by some media outlets that today acts as a means to test the water on potential options and whilst it does not give a definitive end result, it has acted as an indication for where support in Parliament may lie.

Today also seeks to prevent domestic legal uncertainty and confusion and Mr. Morgan has supported a motion to ensure that ‘exit day’ in UK law is aligned with EU law in the event that the UK ceases to be a member of the EU. Whilst the responsibility for the extension of article 50 lies solely with the Prime Minister, MPs today have voted in attempt to secure legal certainty.

Mr. Morgan’s voting record today has stayed true to his long running support for a final say on Brexit and opposition to the disastrous option of a no deal. Of particular importance was his support for Amendment (M), put forward by Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP that calls for a confirmatory public vote on how to break the Brexit deadlock.

Of the eight amendments that were voted on tonight, Mr. Morgan’s record exhibited his commitment for a public say and favoured a revocation of article 50 over a no deal Brexit.

Following the votes, Stephen Morgan said:

“Today’s debate and subsequent votes have been a long time coming. If the Prime Minister had allowed this two years ago, we may have been subject to less chaos and uncertainty.

The Government has completely failed to negotiate a Brexit deal that can protect jobs, rights and the economy, and in the absence of leadership from the Prime Minister, it is right that Parliament had the chance to express its view on the way forward.

Labour has set out two credible approaches which would revent no deal or a damaging Tory Brexit: a close economic relationship based around a permanent Customs Union, close alignment to the Single Market and robust protections for rights and standards; and a public vote between a credible leave option and remain.

Today I supported amendments that are consistent with this approach and would keep options on the table to prevent no deal or a damaging Tory Brexit”.

Specifically in support of the amendment in the name of Margaret Beckett MP, the city MP added:

“I believe that the democratic process of Brexit is just that, a process. The people of this nation started this process, it is integral that they are consulted again so that they are the ones who can decide how it is finished.

The options that are on the table from the Prime Minister let down both leavers and remainers and worryingly, bear no resemblance to what was on the ballot paper in 2016. The only way to give legitimacy to the route that is chosen is to once again ask the people who will be most affected by it.

I can never vote in such a way that will make the people of Portsmouth poorer, or our economy weaker.

So tonight, I put my constituency ahead of everything else and voted in a way that I think will be best for the people of Portsmouth.”

The indicative votes and the MP’s voting record tonight: