SIR JOHN REDWOOD is preparing to be a rebel with a cause as the House of Commons prepares to vote on Brexit.
In a blog post, the newly knighted MP for Wokingham constituency has reiterated that he would vote against the Brexit deal negotiated by neighbouring MP – and Prime Minister – Theresa May if it was presented tomorrow as the original “unamended proposal” that was pulled from a vote before Christmas.
However, he also warned that should there be “a rebel or opposition amendment” then he would “vote with the government to vote down the motion as amended should that circumstance arise”.
He added that he would do this because it would break “my own personal pledge to my voters that I will do my best to see through Brexit”.
And Sir John also felt that Mrs May’s deal would cause problems for the UK if it was passed.
He said: “The Withdrawal Agreement seeks to undermine the UK bargaining position and lock us into many more months of effective EU membership and uncertainty about the future relationship.”
Sir John was setting out why he was preparing to defy the Government’s three-line whip ahead of the vote on Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement.
If, as expected, the Government loses the vote, then it is possible that a vote of no confidence would be called by the opposition and Mrs May could lose this.
One outcome would be an immediate General Election, while another could be a second referendum. A third outcome is that the UK would withdraw from the EU without a deal in place.
In a speech in Stoke today, she said: “Over the last few weeks, there are some in Westminster who would wish to delay or even stop Brexit and who will use every device available to them to do so.
“I ask them to consider the consequences of their actions on the faith of the British people in our democracy.”
She continued: “We all have a duty to implement the result of the referendum.
“Ever since I reached an agreement with the EU on a Withdrawal Agreement and declaration on our future relationship I have argued that the consequences of Parliament rejecting it would be grave uncertainty – potentially leading to one of two outcomes.
“Either a ‘no deal’ Brexit, that would cause turbulence for our economy, create barriers to security cooperation and disrupt people’s daily lives.
“Or the risk of no Brexit at all – for the first time in our history failing to implement the outcome of a statutory referendum and letting the British people down.
“These alternatives both remain in play if the deal is rejected.”
