Senior Tory Leavers have insisted on seeing a full Brexit deal, including legal text, before backing it in a parliamentary vote.
The MPs, including leader of the so-called Brexit ‘Spartans’ Steve Baker, spoke out after Boris Johnson told Tory troops in a short eight-minute appearance that the UK and the EU were close to a deal.
The prime minister likened the negotiations to climbing Mount Everest, adding at the 1922 committee: “If you were to use a mountaineering metaphor, we’re at the Hillary Step, and the summit, you can see it but it’s shrouded in cloud.
“But we can see it and we will get there.”
Johnson also repeated his pledge that “we’re leaving on the 31st (October), deal or no deal”, despite Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay confirming earlier that the PM would request a delay, as required by the opposition Benn Act if he does not strike a new agreement by Saturday.
The PM left the 1922 to rush straight into meetings with Tory Brexiteers from the European Research Group (ERG), who along with the DUP are key to his hopes of getting a deal passed by MPs.
“I do insist on reading the text of the deal that I’m voting on”
- Tory MP Steve Baker
ERG chair Baker poured cold water on EU suggestions that MPs could back a proposed deal in an ‘indicative vote’ at a special Commons sitting on Saturday if there was not enough time to finalise legal text, and to show Brussels that a final deal would pass parliament.
Senior Tories had earlier this week told HuffPost UK that a Commons ‘indicative vote’ on an outline Brexit deal could be enough to get around the Benn Act’s requirements.
But speaking after the 1922 committee, Baker told reporters: “I’ve already said that if I’m not shown legal text I shall vote no.
“We’ll see exactly what we’re asked to vote on and I always decide when I know what I’m voting on and in advance speculatively.
“But I do insist on reading the text of the deal that I’m voting on.”
Bernard Jenkin, another senior member of the ERG, agreed.
“I’d be very surprised if the government doesn’t table a full legal text, it would be very difficult for people to absorb the full legal text so I expect the government will go to great pains to brief people so we understand what the substantive changes are,” he said.
Asked about the prospect of an ‘indicative vote’, Jenkin said: “That would be more difficult.
“And it won’t be a meaningful vote, I don’t think it would satisfy the (Benn) Act.
“It would be rather like the Brady amendment.”
A third senior Brexiteer backed their view: “You will need legal text to get it through, so it’s a given really.”
Labour is also reluctant to support a Saturday sitting of the Commons without seeing a full Brexit deal and having the time to scrutinise it in detail before any meaningful vote.
MPs are expected to vote on Thursday afternoon on whether to sit on Saturday.