What was the amendment on Monday evening?
Amendment 50 of the EU Withdrawal Bill Report Stage in the House of Lords put the option of the public final say on the deal before the House of Commons. This would include an extension of Article 50 so that there would be time for the vote to be held before the UK is due to leave the EU.
The amendment was a cross-party initiative, the lead names on it were Lord Newby (Leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the Lords); Viscount Hailsham (Conservative), Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru), Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbencher).
Why should the public be given the final say?
Theresa May and the Conservatives are making a mess of Brexit.
When a deal is finally agreed we still believe it should be the public, not politicians, who have the final say.
You should be able to choose whether the deal is the right deal for Britain’s future. If it’s not, then you should be able to reject it and remain in the European Union.
Why did the amendment get voted down?
If Labour had supported the amendment, it would have passed. But the Labour frontbench sat on their hands and made it harder to give the British people the final say on the Brexit deal.
What does this mean for Brexit?
It means that, for the time being, the public have not been given the final say on the Brexit deal. The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight to give the British public the final say and the chance to Exit from Brexit.
Will the EU accept the outcome of a vote on the deal?
Key EU figures have said that they would welcome the UK’s decision to remain in the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron has said “the door remains open” for Britain to change its mind about Brexit.
What happens next?
The Liberal Democrats will continue to campaign for an Exit from Brexit. To help us win that fight, donate to our campaign today: