Some Tory Eurosceptics could abstain on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal in today’s ‘super Saturday’ crunch vote.
Just hours before MPs are expected to deliver their verdict on the prime minister’s new agreement with Brussels the backbench group of Conservative Brexiteers, the European Research Group (ERG), met in parliament.
Chairman Steve Baker said he spoke to the PM on the phone just after midnight and advised Eurosceptics to get behind the deal.
He told reporters: “Overwhelmingly I expect Conservative Eurosceptics to back the agreement.”
But his deputy Mark Francois said “no one” in the meeting openly revealed that they would vote against the deal - meaning some, such as hardliners Steve Redwood and Bill Cash could yet abstain.
The group heard an appeal to reject the deal from Sammy Wilson, Brexit spokesman for the DUP, which has ruled out backing the agreement.
It comes as the PM’s deal sits on a knife-edge with the PM needing the entire Eurosceptic group, as well as some Labour Leave MPs, to get behind the deal.
Leaving the meeting, Wilson said: “The ERG isn’t a group. The ERG is a group of like-minded individuals who make up their own minds.”
Wilson said he hoped an eleventh hour plea to ERG members will have convinced them to vote against the deal.
“I know that the people in the ERG are good friends of Northern Ireland. They’re not anti-unionist by any means,” Wilson said.
“A lot of them are struggling with their consciences.”
Baker said many Tory Eurosceptics had decided to part ways with the DUP to back Johnson, however.
“It is obviously a point of great sorrow to us that we have parted company with the Democratic Unionist Party today, and I would particularly pay tribute to their courage and resolve through this process.
“It is obviously our hope that we will be able to demonstrate that this solution does promote the prosperity of Northern Ireland.”
Francois characterised the vote as the best chance for MPs to clinch Brexit.
He said: “Today is D minus 12. If the House of Commons votes for this today, within a fortnight we’ll be living in a free country.”
“The advice of the ERG officers and the overwhelming balance of opinion of our steering group was to vote for the agreement,” he added.
It was not clear whether the government could pull the vote, however, as a majority of MPs could vote for an amendment by ex-Tory Sir Oliver Letwin which could delay MPs’ consent for Johnson’s Brexit until all legislation supporting it went before parliament.
If passed, the amendment would automatically trigger the anti-no-deal law the Benn Act, which forces the PM to seek an extension to Article 50.