BREAKING NEWS: MPs vote in favour of triggering Article 50 as Brexit passes Commons hurdle
MPs have voted in favour of triggering Article 50 as Brexit passed its first hurdle in the House of Commons.
By KATIE MANSFIELD
Express.co.uk
Wed, Feb 1, 2017
MPs have clashed during two days of debate over the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill.
498 voted in favour of giving the Bill a second reading, with 114 against.
Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs earlier today the vote to give the Bill a second reading would decide whether to deny the will of the British people.
Around 90 MPs were expected to vote against the bill – including around 48 Labour rebels.
Tory MP Chloe Smith took her baby into the chamber to vote.
Speaker John Bercow told her she was free to bring the child in, prompting Iain Duncan Smith to ask “Does that count as two votes?”
In the first vote of the night, MPs voted against the Scottish National Party amendment declining to give the Bill a second reading.
336 MPs voted against the amendment with 100 for the SNP amendment.
The vote has sparked chaos for the Labour Party where despite Jeremy Corbyn ordering his MPs to back the second reading of the Bill, Dawn Butler and Rachael Maskell, two members of his shadow cabinet resigned in protest.
The main Commons skirmishes over the legislation are expected to come during the Bill’s committee stage from Monday to Wednesday next week, when MPs will scrutinise the Bill in detail and put forward amendments for votes.
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