May to reject 'meaningful vote' proposal, setting up Commons showdown

Theresa May is poised to reject a proposal that would hand parliament more power over Brexit, setting the government on a collision course with MPs who want to avoid a 'no deal' Brexit, according to reports on Tuesday.

The news comes after the Prime Minister sought a last-minute compromise last week in an effort to get pro-EU conservative MPs to lend their backing to her EU withdrawal bill but, with this compromise having failed to pass through the House of Lords, May faces a showdown on Wednesday.

During the Lords' debate on Monday, Lord Hailsham said the government had failed to deliver on its promise to provide MPs with a "meaningful vote" on the final deal.

The only concession May is willing to make is to allow parliament a vote on a statement outlining the next steps if she fails to win an agreement with the EU.

This falls considerably short of the outright vote demanded by pro-EU lawmakers such as Dominic Grieve, who has been accused of pushing the government towards collapse over the issue.

Speaking on BBC Radio, Grieve insisted that he is still keen to engage with the government to find a way to resolve the row.

May is walking a tightrope in trying to keep an increasingly fractious Conservative Party together, with Pro-Brexit and Pro-EU MPs equally furious at sustained compromises.