Theresa May’s government will collapse if MPs vote against her Brexit deal, a senior Tory has said.
The prime minister is under pressure from pro-EU Tory rebels to offer a “meaningful vote” on her Brexit deal that could give parliament control of the negotiations.
Tom Tugendhat told Sky News on Thursday morning “I think we’re going to get a meaningful vote anyway”.
“The meaningful vote is going to be either the government’s deal is accepted, in which case that’s the meaningful vote accepted.” he said.
The chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee added: “Or it isn’t accepted. In which case, frankly, there’s going to be a new government.”
May faces a potential new front in the war between the pro and anti-EU wings of the Conservative Party.
The government is expected to table a compromise amendment on Thursday to the flagship EU Withdrawal Bill which is expected to set out in more detail the terms of the “meaningful vote” promised to MPs on the final deal.
Pro-EU Tories, who want parliament to have more power over the negotiations, have warned that they remain ready to rebel if their demands are not satisfied by the compromise amendment.
But leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg claimed their idea made a “no-deal Brexit” more likely.
It came after Jeremy Corbyn suffered a major rebellion, with six members of his shadow team among more than a third of Labour MPs who voted against the whip over the Brexit Bill.