Peers warned against ‘incentivising’ EU in Brexit negotiations

Theresa May has issued a warning to peers they could “incentivise” the European Union to offer Britain a bad Brexit deal if they pass a further amendment to the Article 50 Bill.

The House of Lords is expected to vote on Tuesday on an amendment calling for Westminster to be given a “meaningful” vote on the withdrawal agreement secured by the Prime Minister during negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties.

Mrs May has promised Parliament a vote, but only on a “take it or leave it” basis, which would see the UK crash out of the EU without a deal if MPs reject the agreement she obtains.

She believes she must maintain this position in order to convince EU negotiators and other member states she is ready to walk away from the table if she does not like what is on offer.

Opposition members have argued Mrs May’s position that “no deal is better than a bad deal” risks a sudden “cliff-edge” move onto WTO tariffs which would harm the UK economy.

Asked for the PM’s message to peers preparing to vote on the European Union (Notification Of Withdrawal) Bill, Mrs May’s official spokesman said: “She believes we should not commit to any process that would incentivise the EU to offer us a bad deal.

“If we are in a position where any deal negotiated by the Prime Minister could be rejected by MPs, that gives strength potentially to other parties in the negotiation.”

One Tory former minister has called on Mrs May to give Parliament a proper say on any Brexit deal.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour if he would back the expected amendment, Bromley & Chislehurst MP Bob Neill said: “I’d certainly be inclined to vote in that way unless the Government is able to come up with alternative assurances on the floor of the Commons which has the effect of saying, ‘it needn’t be on the face of the Bill but this is what will happen’.”

He added: “If there is no deal, that means that we would potentially leave the EU straight on to World Trade Organisation terms and without any transitional arrangements.

“I believe that would be deeply damaging for this country and I think Parliament should have the right to consider that.”

Commons Leader David Lidington told the BBC: “Any idea that the PM’s freedom to negotiate is limited, any idea that if the EU 27 were to play hardball, that somehow that means that Parliament would … try to reverse the referendum verdicts, and to set aside the views of the British people – that would almost guarantee that it would be much more difficult to get the sort of ambitious, mutually beneficial deal for us and for the EU 27 that we want.”