A Bill authorising Theresa May to trigger article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty has passed its final stage in the House of Commons, with MPs backing it by an overwhelming 494 votes to 122, a majority of 372. The legislation must now be approved by the House of Lords before the prime minister can start formal negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.
MPs rejected all opposition amendments which would have attached conditions to the negotiations, before the final vote on Wednesday night. Jeremy Corbyn ordered Labour MPs to back the government in the final vote but 52 defied the party whip and voted against the legislation.
Clive Lewis, tipped by some Labour MPs as a possible successor to Mr Corbyn, resigned as shadow business secretary before voting against triggering article 50.
“When I became the MP for Norwich South, I promised my constituents I would be ‘Norwich’s voice in Westminster, not Westminster’s voice in Norwich’. I therefore cannot, in all good conscience, vote for something I believe will ultimately harm the city I have the honour to represent, love and call home,” he said in a statement.
During the debate, it emerged that home secretary Amber Rudd had written to some Conservative MPs, reassuring them that the government was committed to protecting the rights of EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit. The prime minister has repeatedly refused to offer a unilateral guarantee before securing reciprocal rights for British citizens in the EU. But Ms Rudd said MPs would be able to vote on a new immigration Bill that would ensure EU citizens living in Britain could remain after Brexit.
“This will be done through a separate immigration Bill and subsequent secondary legislation so nothing will change for any EU citizen, whether already resident in the UK or moving from the EU, without parliament’s approval,” she said.
“I’ve always been clear that after we leave the European Union we will have an immigration system that supports our economy and protects our public services, and that should mean securing the rights of EU citizens already here, as well as establishing a new immigration system for new arrivals from the EU once we have left.”
MPs appeared to accept Ms Rudd’s reassurance, rejecting an amendment guaranteeing EU nationals the right to stay in the UK by 332 votes to 290, a majority of 42.
SDLP amendment
Among the amendments voted down by MPs was one proposed by the SDLP, which said the government should take the Belfast Agreement into account when triggering article 50. It was rejected by 327 votes to 288, a majority of 39.
Labour, the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Greens joined the SDLP in backing the amendment, which also won the support of Independent Unionist Sylvia Hermon and former Conservative chancellor Kenneth Clarke. The DUP, the Ulster Unionists and Ukip joined the Conservatives in voting against the amendment, along with five pro-Brexit Labour MPs, including Kate Hoey, a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.
Ms May defended her Brexit strategy during prime minister's questions on Wednesday, and in an interview with the New Statesman she rejected a claim by former chancellor George Osborne that she was focusing too much on immigration and not enough on the economy.
“It is possible to achieve an outcome which is both a good result for the economy and is a good result for people who want us to control immigration – to be able to set our own rules on the immigration of people coming from the European Union. It is perfectly possible to find an arrangement and a partnership with the EU which does that.”
