The nine axed Tories who thwarted Brexit: How your MP voted last night, including the key Conservative rebels whose votes could have turned it around
- MPs voted for the PM's Brexit bill by 329 votes to 299, a majority of 30
- But he was defeated in fast-tracking it by 322 votes to 308, a majority of 14
- Nine former Tory rebels, now independent members, helped to block the PM
- They blocked Boris Johnson's Brexit plan by voting against his rapid timetable
Nine former Tories including senior ex-Cabinet ministers last night erected a roadblock in front of Boris Johnson's hope to get Brexit done by October 23.
Philip Hammond, who was chancellor until July, was joined by former Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart in voting against the Prime Minister's attempt to get Brexit into law this week.
They and seven other top ex-Conservatives including another former chancellor, Ken Clarke, voted against the programme motion on the Withdrawal Agreement.
The vote was defeated by 322 votes to 308, a majority of 14, at the hands of MPs who want to spend weeks examining the 100-page Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB)
It destroying Mr Johnson's hopes of a Halloween departure and sparking fury among their ex-colleagues.
Mr Hammond attempted to defend his decision today, tweeting: 'I believe in delivering Brexit. But I also believe in Parliamentary scrutiny.
EXILED GRANDEES: Philip Hammond, Dominic Grieve and Ken Clarke
TORY REBELS: Anne Milton, Antoinette Sandbach and Richard Harrington
Rory Stewart, Justine Greening and Guto Bebb
'That’s why I voted for the Brexit bill to progress to the next stage, but against No10’s plan to rush it through at breakneck speed.
'Now’s the time for cool heads, to calmly consider the Bill.'
Mr Johnson had wanted his Withdrawal Agreement Bill to be rushed into law so he could meet the October 31 deadline.
Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted it was 'very hard to see how it is possible' now for the Bill to be passed in time for next week.
Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke, who were stripped of the Tory whip last month over attempts to block No Deal, were joined in voting against Mr Johnson's Commons timetable by fellow ex-Tories Guto Bebb, Justine Greening, Dominic Grieve, Richard Harrington, Anne Milton, Antoinette Sandbach and Mr Stewart.
Their votes against the Government are likely to have destroyed any hopes of being allowed back on the Tory benches. In a sign of the acrimony over their move, European Research Group chairman Steve Baker last night tweeted: 'It feels like there will be a candidate selection in Runnymede shortly.' The tweet appeared to be a clear reference to Mr Hammond's Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.
At the end of a nail-biting evening in the Commons, the Prime Minister told MPs he would now 'pause' the Withdrawal Agreement Bill until the EU takes a decision on whether to grant another Brexit delay.
Speaker John Bercow last night told Commons that the legislation was now 'in limbo'.
Mr Johnson, who had pledged to take Britain out of the EU by the Halloween deadline 'do or die', told the House he would now consult with other EU leaders on what should happen next
But Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg added: 'I think theologically speaking it was reported that Pope Benedict XVI abolished limbo, so I do wonder whether the Bill is not in the heaven that is having been passed, nor in the hell of having failed, but it is in purgatory where it is suffering the pains of those in purgatory.'
On the first vote last night, MPs voted to back the deal in principle by 329 to 299 on the second reading of the Bill – the first time the Commons has been prepared to support any Brexit deal.
In that vote, 17 of the 21 former Tories who lost the whip in September voted to support the deal. However, in the second vote on the programme motion, nine of those 21 Tories voted against the Government. The vote appears to have to put paid to the PM's hope of leaving with a deal at the end of the month in eight days' time.
Mr Johnson, who had pledged to take Britain out of the EU by the Halloween deadline 'do or die', told the House he would now consult with other EU leaders on what should happen next.
Under the terms of the so-called Benn Act, the PM was forced to write to the EU at the weekend seeking an extension after failing to win the support of the Commons at Saturday's special sitting.
He told MPs: 'I will speak to EU member states about their intentions. Until they have reached a decision we will pause this legislation.' He added: 'Let me be clear. Our policy remains that we should not delay, that we should leave the EU on October 31 and that is what I will say to the EU and I will report back to the House. And one way or another we will leave the EU with this deal, to which this House has just given its assent.'
Nigel Farage last night tweeted: 'Do or die is over, we have now moved on to dying in a ditch. We will not be leaving the EU on 31st October.'
Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke voted against the Government's fast-track timetable despite warnings from fellow ex-Tories Sir Oliver Letwin and Richard Benyon it would be a mistake.
Speaking in the Commons debate beforehand, Mr Benyon said: 'Whether you had three days, three weeks or three months debating this, you would not hear one original argument that we hadn't otherwise heard in this process.'
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had urged MPs to challenge the timetable, calling it 'an abuse of Parliament'.
In the earlier vote on the second reading on the Bill, the Prime Minister seized victory after securing the support of 19 Labour rebels.
The Prime Minister won over the opposition MPs with a slew of promises on how workers' rights and environmental standards would be protected after the country leaves the EU.
In the Commons debate, Mr Johnson gave repeated assurances over the issues to Labour waverers, but he failed to get the support of the Democratic Unionist Party's ten MPs, who voted against the deal and also the fast-paced legislative timetable.
MPs crowding the benches and the aisle as they await the results of the vote on the programme motion proposing a timetable for the passage of the Brexit Withdrawl Agreement Bill in the House of Commons
Below is a full tally of how your MP voted on the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill and the subsequent vote on the timetable.
The nine turncoat former Tories who got revenge by blocking Boris's Brexit bill
Philip Hammond
The chancellor of the exchequer under Theresa May, he quit before Mr Johnson could fire him when he took over as leader in June.
The former senior minister lost the Tory whip when he voted to block a No Deal Brexit last month.
While in office the father of three was a leading figure trying to ensure a soft Brexit, arguing it was vital for trade and especially the UK's financial services industry.
Since he returned to the backbench he has been an outspoken critic of the prime minister.
He defended his decision to vote down the programme motion today, tweeting: 'I believe in delivering Brexit. But I also believe in Parliamentary scrutiny'.
Dominic Grieve
The backbench mastermind of many of the parliamentary moves to block Boris Johnson's attempts to get Brexit done by Halloween.
The former attorney general, 63, introduced the need for a meaningful vote on a Brexit deal as well as supporting measures to block a No Deal departure.
The father of two has been threatened with deselection by Tories in his Beaconsfield constituency who are furious at his stymieing actions.
But in a Remainer-supporting seat he is in talks with the Lib Dems to get a free run at the next election.
It means that he could stay in parliament for another term.
Rory Stewart
The Cumbrian MP who, if events had turned out differently could have been in No 10.
Mr Stewart, 46, ran for Tory leader earlier this year, making no secret of his centrist credentials.
He made it to the final four before being axed, but gained a far higher profile.
After losing the Tory whip the father of one announced he will step down at the next election.
He intends to run as an independent candidate to be mayor of London in next year's election in the capital, against Tory candidate Shaun Bailey.
Kenneth Clarke
The longest-serving MP currently in the Commons, Mr Clarke was a Tory parliamentarian for almost 50 years until losing the whip.
The 79-year-old was chancellor of the exchequer under John Major in the 1990s and held a raft of other posts. He too has indicated he will step down at the next election.
But he was also mooted as the temporary leader of a government of national unity when it was suggested as a way to force Mr Johnson from office.
As a veteran Europhile he has been staunch in his opposition to a hard Brexit, voting to block it in September. He backs Mr Johnson's deal and voted for it on Tuesday, but wants MPs to have more time to consider the legislation and avoid a No Deal departure.
Anne Milton
The Guildford MP and mother of four was a minister under Theresa May and a Tory whip beforehand.
But after nine years in various Government posts, she quit before Mr Johnson took over.
As one of the first Remainers to quit in July she said: 'I have grave concerns about leaving the EU without a deal, and so I feel it is time for me to return to the backbenches.
The former nurse' Surrey seat, which she first won in 2005, voted 59-41 in favour of Remain in 2016.
She has previously voted in favour of a customs union being part of the UK's Brexit deal with the UK.
Antoinette Sandbach
An increasingly rebellious Remainer voice after losing the whip.
The 50-year-old Eddisbury MP blasted the 'toxic' atmosphere in politics at the weekend as she revealed she received a death threat after being deselected as a candidate by her local party.
She was sent an an email saying that Remain-backing MPs should 'keep looking over your shoulders because Boom Bang you are all dead'.
She has made it clear that she would not be bribed into backing the PM via the carrot of having the whip returned.
She voted for the deal in the second reading last night but against it in the programme motion, suggesting she would be prepared to back it with alterations.
Justine Greening
The former education secretary, 50, was the first senior Tory to back a second Brexit referendum, urging a new vote as early as last year.
She quit the frontbench after the 2017 election after Theresa May attempted to demote her from education.
Since then the Putney MP has been one of the most consistent Remain-backing MPs.
She has voted against Boris Johnson's Brexit deal at all the stages possible so far and is seen as a pretty irreconcilable Remainer vote who cannot be persuaded to vote otherwise.
Guto Bebb
Like Ms Greening Guto Bebb is seen as never likely to vote for a Brexit deal.
Mr Bebb, who is standing down from his Aberconwy seat at the next election previously went as far as to claim that a short-term Jeremy Corbyn-led government would be 'less damaging' for Britain than a No Deal Brexit.
In August the Remainer urged Tory rebels and others to 'take seriously an offer from the Labour leader to become a 'caretaker prime minister' to delay Brexit beyond October 31.
He also accused the PM of putting MPs safety at risk after he branded Remainers 'collaborators' who were working with the EU to hamper Brexit.
Mr Bebb used the analogy of Labour's Jo Cox, who was assassinated in 2016, following the Prime Minister's remarks during a Facebook Live broadcast.
Richard Harrington
Watford MP Mr Harrington is another very pro-Remain MP who does not try to hide his disdain for Brexiteers.
A former Business minister, in February he branded hardline eurosceptics 'traitors' to the Conservatives who should join Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party,
The father of two vowed to resign if Theresa May backed a no deal Brexit and said members of the European Research Group were 'not Conservatives'.
He also branded a champagne party hosted by Jacob Rees-Mogg on the night Mrs May lost the meaningful vote was 'treachery'.
He eventually quit the Government in March to support Sir Oliver Letwin's amendment allowing indicative votes to control parliamentary process.
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