Brexit: May’s Deal Torn In ‘Constitutional Crisis’

By Staff, Agencies

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plans were thrown into further turmoil Monday when the speaker of Parliament ruled that she could not put her divorce deal to a new vote unless it was re-submitted in fundamentally different form.

In comments that blindsided May’s office, Speaker John Bercow said the government could not bring forward proposals for a vote in Parliament that were substantially the same as had been defeated twice before, in January and last week.

Brexiteers seeking a complete break from the European Union saw a “no-deal” exit as now more likely, but the government made clear it would seek to put off Brexit beyond the March 29 departure date, if the EU approves.

One of the government’s senior law officers, Solicitor General Robert Buckland, said: “We’re in a major constitutional crisis here.”

He told the BBC one way to bring May’s deal back for a vote in the House of Commons could be prorogation - ending the Parliament session prematurely and starting a new one.

According to precedents stretching back to 1604, parliamentary rules say that substantially similar proposals cannot be voted on in the House of Commons more than once during the same session of Parliament.

Bercow said his ruling should not be considered his last word and the government could bring forward a new proposition that was not the same as those already voted upon.

May’s spokesperson said her office had not been warned the statement was coming. Nor could Downing Street say anything about plans for a new Brexit vote or when it might be held.

Britain is due to leave the EU by default in 10 days. But Parliament voted last week for a delay and May is expected to seek an extension to that deadline when she meets EU leaders at a summit this week.