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What Time Is The Brexit Deal Vote? How The Historic Night Will Unfold
15 January 2019, 16:49 | Updated: 28 October 2019, 15:53
What time is the Brexit vote taking place? What are MPs actually voting for? Is the deal likely to be approved? What happens to the UK if the deal is rejected? Here is everything you need to know.
What time is the Brexit vote?
The Prime Minister will begin to draw the debate to a close at about 6:45pm.
MPs will then begin voting on amendments to the withdrawal agreement from 7pm.
The main vote is now expected from 7:30pm onwards.
The vote was originally scheduled for the 11th of December, but when faced with defeat and a no confidence vote, the Prime Minister postponed the vote to this week.
It was hoped this extra time would enable her to secure concessions from the EU and support from her party.
If you were an MP, would you support or vote down Theresa May’s deal? #BrexitVote
— LBC (@LBC) January 14, 2019
What are the MPs voting for?
Essentially, MPs are voting on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement to leave the European Union.
Within this deal there are two contentious issues resulting in many MP’s vowing to reject the deal.
First being the terms on which the UK will leave the EU, including how much leaving will cost the UK, and secondly the persistent unresolvable issue of the Irish back stop.
Is Theresa May likely to win?
Unlikely, leading a government with a working majority of less than 13, a mere seven Tories are needed to defeat the deal, some of which have already spoken openly about their firm decision to reject the deal.
With less than four hours to go until the result, 100 MP’s from the Conservative party, 10 from the DUP and the majority of Labour have vowed to reject the deal.
What happens if the deal is voted down?
There are three or possibly four likely outcomes if the deal is rejected.
- The Prime Minister could go back to Brussels in a bid to get further concessions
- The UK could leave the EU without a deal, but many MPs have vowed to stop this
- Britain’s exit date could be extended to allow more time
- Unlikely, but Article 50 could be revoked altogether in a bid to hold a second referendum