“I can confirm we will return to the meaningful vote debate in the week beginning 7 January and hold the vote the following week”
Theresa May has told parliament that the vote on her Brexit deal will take place in the New Year after it was postponed last week in order for the prime minister to hold further negotiations in Brussels.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, the prime minister said the debate on the Brexit deal will resume on the week beginning Monday 7 January, with the vote held the following week.
She assured MPs that while there had been no renegotiation of the deal, the EU had made it clear the Irish backstop was “not a plot to trap the UK” and urged MPs to pass the agreement into law.
"This last week has embodied the failure, chaos and indecision at the heart of this government’s shambolic handling of Brexit"
Jeremy Corbyn slams Theresa May's handling of Brexit as she announces the parliament vote will now take place in the New Year pic.twitter.com/aGjSobDvyd
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) December 17, 2018
She said: “I can confirm we will return to the meaningful vote debate in the week beginning 7 January and hold the vote the following week.
“Avoiding ‘no deal’ is only possible if we can reach an agreement or if we abandon Brexit entirely.”
Her statement in the House came after it emerged Jeremy Corbyn was planning to table a no confidence motion against her if she failed to set a date for the vote.
Responding in the Commons, the Labour leader attacked the prime minister but stopped short of calling for a vote of confidence.
He said: “This last week has embodied the failure, chaos and indecision at the heart of this government’s shambolic handling of Brexit.
“Today they have been dragged kicking and screaming to announce a date to re-start the debate.
“But, Mr Speaker, it is disgraceful that a month has been wasted since we were due to vote on 11 December and there can be no further attempts to dodge accountability to parliament.”
