Voting on Brexit: Parliament's consideration of the withdrawal deal and future framework

Parliament’s ‘meaningful vote’ on the Brexit deal will be more than a yes-or-no choice.

If government ministers come back from Brussels with a draft deal on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and an agreement on the future UK-EU relationship, MPs will vote on a motion to approve both. The Government has told MPs they face a choice between accepting those deals in their entirety or crashing out of the EU without a deal.

The report argues that the choice isn’t as stark. Instead, MPs will be able to table amendments at the time of the ‘meaningful vote’, for example, asking the Government to request a longer or shorter transition period or revisit its approach to future UK-EU trade. This could force the Government back to the negotiating table in Brussels, if the EU27 were prepared to reopen negotiations.

It cautions, however, that failure to find a single way forward in UK Parliament would result in huge legal uncertainty for citizens and businesses, as it would not be clear what rules apply after the Article 50 period expires (March 29 2019).