The 'Meaningful Vote' of 15 January, 2019 (Brexit)

Overview
"Meaningful vote" is the common name given to Section 13 of the United Kingdom's European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, entitled "Parliamentary approval of the outcome of negotiations with the EU" (full text of section). It is a requirement that the government of the United Kingdom bring forward an amendable parliamentary motion at the end of the Article 50 negotiations between the government and the European Union.

The wording of the clause was strongly contested by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords with the Lords proposing an amendment to the bill giving further powers to parliament. When the bill returned to the Commons the Conservative government offered concessions and the Lords proposed amendment was defeated. The bill was then passed into law on 26 June 2018.

Background
Following the UK's decision to leave the European Union, the result of a referendum, 23 June 2016, the UK government invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union. The UK is thus due to leave the EU at 11 pm on 29 March 2019 UTC.

British businesswoman, Gina Miller, took the government to court to challenge its authority to implement to invoke Article 50 without reference to Parliament. On 3 November 2016, the High Court of Justice ruled in favour of Miller in the case R (Miller and Dos Santos) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

In January 2017 the Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May announced, "I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force." As a result, on 13 July 2017, David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, introduced the bill in the Commons

What is at stake
If May's deal is voted down, she has 21 days to return to parliament to set out her plans in a new motion. The success of Grieve's amendment (passed 321 votes to 299) means MPs can now change that motion, giving them far greater say over the UK’s exit from the EU. The PM also faces 3 day deadline for new Brexit plan if she loses the Brexit related vote.

Intimidation
The local Northallerton Remain activist, Ian Richard Sharp-Smith, was heckled and jostled outside the town hall on in early January, 2018; by Brexiteers.

The Brexiteer Conservative (AKA: Tory) MP, Jacob Rees Mogg, had his Somerset home was vandalised and was shouted at when he went out on another occasion, both by anti-Brexit protesters in the August of 2018

The anti-Brexit Conservative (AKA: Tory) MP, Anna Soubry, was heckled and jostled outside parliament on December 7th, 2019; by Brexiteers.

The run up
The meaningful vote is due to be applied by the Commons on 15 January 2019. The vote was originally scheduled to be held on 11 December 2018 but, on 10 December, Theresa May cancelled the vote due to the ever-growing threat of the government's Brexit deal being voted down.

The meaningful vote is due to be applied by the Commons on 15 January 2019. The vote was originally scheduled to be held on 11 December 2018 but, on 10 December, Theresa May cancelled the vote due to the ever-growing threat of the government's Brexit deal being voted down.

Pro-Brexit 'Brexiteers' like Jacob Rees Mogg and  the anti-Brexit 'Remainer' Conservative MP, Anna Soubry opposed it in December.

The January 15th debate
It started at 15.00pm with the Attorney General's speech.


 * 1) Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for Rhondda, accused Brexit and the following debacle of wasting valuable time, money and international cudos. He also condemned death threats that were sent to MPs constituency offices.
 * 2) Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru leader, expressed her concerns over the Tory's failures, the future of wales and the decline of political debate in to a yobbish yelling match.
 * 3) Nigel Evans, Conservative MP for Ribble Valley wanted the UK to leave, but with a trade agreement with the EU due the heavy levels of trade between both.
 * 4) Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting feared the MPs' hate speech, political intimidation of MPs in public, the failed Tory regime and the increasing use of foodbanks in her part of London.
 * 5) Ivan Lewis, Independent MP for Bury South, feared the scrapping of Brexit and denounced a second referendum. He wanted the UK to join the EEA or EFTA. He also wanted the nation to make peace and stop hating each other.
 * 6) Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP for Edinburgh S.W. accused the PM of giving contracts to doubiuse firms, incompetence, failure and political bias.
 * 7) Mike Wood, Conservative MP for Dudley South accused Remainers of undermining Brexit, but was concerned over the economy.
 * 8) Paul Sweeny, the Labour MP for Glasgow NE raised the issues of ecanomic failure in the UK and the PM's personal failure.
 * 9) Kate Green, Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston feared the UK would not heal its wounds since the PM's plan was a fuge, irrelevant and economically damaging. She also thought it was a valuable time, money and international cudos.
 * 10) Matt Warman, Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness condemned the Remainers and supported the PM's deal.

Results

 * Yes-
 * No-
 * Abstained-

Also see

 * 1) Brexit
 * 2) No-deal Brexit scenario
 * 3) Hard Irish border
 * 4) Irish border question
 * 5) Jeremy Corbyn's December 17, 2018 vote of no confidence
 * 6) Jeremy Corbyn's December 19, 2018 "Stupid woman" comment